You're not my dad!
by xfacexthisx
Summary: RoyEd with a parental complex, but it's still YAOI. I suck at summaries. RoyxEd. LOTS of OOCness. Don't read if you're going to hate me for that. Lots of angst too. Lemon in Ch48, so MRated SECTION. See my page for complete summary.
1. Chapter 1

This is the only disclaimer you are getting. It will compensate for every chapter of this story, got it? Disclaimer: I do not, and probably never will, own Fullmetal Alchemist. If I do come to own FMA, you will immediately be told of a new series coming out, in which Ed and Roy get together.  
I am pre-apologizing for the OOC-ness in this and upcoming chapters.

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such as if Ed were to yell "You're not my dad!").

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Roy looked down at the boy. Somehow, Edward had forced his way into Roy's office and had collapsed on his couch. Roy had returned late in the night to get his coat, and here he found Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, sleeping on his couch.

_He looks so cute._ Roy thought. _However, of all the places, why did he choose my office to come to in such a state?_

Edward could indeed said to be in "such a state". His hair coming loose and was obviously dirty, and he looked as if he needed a shower. Roy noticed one specific smudge of dirt on Edward's face, and licked his gloved finger, and cleaned the smudge off.

Edward let out a little groan and shuffled in his sleep. No matter how cute Ed looked, Roy knew he had to wake him up.

"Ed—er, Fullmetal?" Roy said softly, while gently rocking the boy. "Fullmetal?" The boy groaned again. He opened one eye weakly, but soon grabbed his stomach and curled up. As soon as Edward's cramps had somewhat passed, he opened his eyes again.

"Mustang?" He asked softly, almost sounding surprised.

"Yeah, well, you are in my office." Roy said. Ed visibly blushed.

"I—I'm sorry. I'll leave now..." He said and attempted to stand up, only to be hit by another series of cramps. He was forced to sit back down, bending over and clutching his stomach.

"Fullmetal, are you okay?" Roy said, unsure of what else to do.

"No, but I will be. I think this is just some food poisoning." Suddenly Edward stood up. "I need a bathroom." He admitted while turning red. He left for a quite a while, but eventually returned, even though it was unnecessary. "This diarrhea is going to be what kills me." Ed said, unembarrassed, which is a drastic change from how he was when he left.

"What?? Then drink some goddamned water!" Roy exclaimed overdramatically and then left the room in a brisk walk, returning with a glass of cold water. "Here." He thrust it rather unceremoniously in Ed's direction, and Edward took the cup. He took one sip.

"You know, Mustang, I wasn't being literal." Edward took another sip. "For a man who supposedly knows everything I do, you need to work on knowing what I'm talking about."

It was Roy's turn to have his face go red. "Yes, well. I just don't want one of my subordinates dying right in my office..."

"Aw, you care about me? That's cute." Edward said rather mockingly.

"That's some attitude you've got there for such a little kid." Roy snapped back.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT HE IS NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK HOWEVER HE DAMN WELL PLEASES BECAUSE HE IS NOT CONSIDERED A BIG BOY YET BECAUSE HE COULD PASS FOR A FIVE YEAR OLD DUE TO HEIGHT COMPLICATIONS?" Edward shouted. He was left panting for breath, being that he managed that in one or two breaths. Soon enough, he found that he has slumped to the ground. His slight hyperventilating was causing lightheadedness.

Roy quickly got to his knees, took off a glove, and felt the boy's forehead.

"Holy _shit_, you're burning up."

"It's called a fever." Edward said, feeling weak. The same weakness he felt when he entered the colonel's office (Truth only knows why) to pass out on his couch.

"Well, you're going to the doctor." Roy said and actually scooped the boy up in his arms. For a moment, Edward protested, but then relaxed. He found himself gripping the Flame's lapel and snuggling into the older man. Neither spoke as Roy carried Ed down to his car. From there, the two drove to the hospital, where Edward was diagnosed to have campylobacteriosis, a type of food poisoning.

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A/N: Yes, campylobacteriosis is real, and yes it had these symptoms. I looked it up on WebMd.


	2. Chapter 2

**From the last chapter:** If you don't know what campylobacteriosis is, here is a short summary: it is a type of food poisoning. The symptoms are "diarrhea, cramping, stomach pain, and fever within 2 to 5 days after exposure to the bacteria".  
I've never had it, but the symptoms fit what I wanted Ed to have.

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such as if Ed were to yell "You're not my dad!").

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"Is there any place this boy can stay for a few days while he rests up?" The doctor asked Roy.

"My place is open." Roy said immediately. _And I won't take any protests._ He added silently.

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"Tell me again why I am staying at your house." Edward asked from the back seat of Roy's car. Roy sighed.

"Because you have nowhere else to go within a short distance."

---

Edward's fever rose considerably that night.

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This is a really short chapter, so I'll update another later today.


	3. Chapter 3

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such as if Ed were to yell "You're not my dad!").

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_Edward's fever rose considerably that night._ Roy was kind enough to put Edward in his bed.

"Where's Al??" Edward cried out in his haze. "Where's Al? Al is safe, right?"

Roy wiped some more sweat from Edward's warm forehead. "Shh. It's okay. Al is okay. Al is with Winry in Resembool, remember?" Roy said this on instinct, knowing that Al sometimes went there and left Ed here; he was unsure if it was actually true.

Edward calmed down some, though it was obvious he was still panicking. Roy noticed in the silence of Ed, that the rag he was using on Edward's forehead was getting dry. He left to put some more water on it in the sink.

Once the water was turned on, Roy heard Edward shout. "Roy?? Roy? Roy!" The latter of the names was actually _screeched_.

Roy dashed up to his room as quickly as he could. The first thing he noticed about Edward were the tears that were beginning to leak down his face. Apparently, Fullmetal was very vulnerable when he was sick (or rather, delusional with a fever).

Roy went closer to the boy, who immediately threw his arms around the man. Roy froze, shocked. Soon, however, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around Edward as well.

Roy shifted onto the bed so he could sit and so Edward was in his lap. As he did earlier today, Edward clung to Roy's lapel and cuddled into Roy, closing his eyes.

Before he knew what he was doing, Roy bent his head down and kissed Edward on the forehead. He stiffened, knowing he had just made a dire mistake.

Edward didn't react in the way Roy was expecting.

Rather than explode, Edward leaned up and kissed Roy. On the lips. Then he rest back into Roy and closed his eyes.

_But wait. Does this mean he returns my affections? Or is this just the fever? Shit. Shit. Bad move, Mustang. You just ruined any chance you have of this boy ever trusting you, if he remembers this when the fever is gone._ Thoughts flew through Roy's head.

Once Edward had fallen asleep, Roy rest him down on the bed. Due to his queen size bed, Roy was able to sleep in the bed as well. He sat up, however. Roy would not dare risk lying down, for fear of some of the positions that could be a result. Such as, when he would wake up with a woman he took home the previous night, and he finds his arm or leg around her. No, he could not risk that with Ed. Instead, Roy rested himself against the headboard, still sitting up, and that is the way he fell asleep.

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Humorous side note: I got to thinking and for a split second I thought "What if Edward cried out 'Dad' while Roy and him were making love?" and then...I stopped. And thought about it. And I knew that would be going too far. Haha. So, you will not be seeing that in upcoming chapters.


	4. Chapter 4

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such as if Ed were to yell "You're not my dad!").

This chapter was added later, if that matters.

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Oddly enough, Edward did not have a nightmare about his dead mother that night. Maybe it was the fever, maybe it was luck, or maybe it was just subconscious knowing that he had Roy beside him, but Edward did not have a nightmare.

Instead, Edward had an odd dream about Roy smelling his hair. In the dream, Roy grew feistier so that the smelling of hair actually grew to the point of Roy reaching down Edward's pants. Edward had no idea how it got to that point but it was a dream, after all.

Even in his sleep, Edward was evaluating things. Once, since he had nothing else to read, Edward had read a dream interpretation book. It said that "To dream that someone is smelling your hair, indicates sexual curiosity and your need for some sensual stimulation." Did that mean that he was sexually curious about Roy? Well...

Before he could continue with the thought, Edward began to wake up. He forgot his dream as he began to slowly return to consciousness.

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Disclaimer: The place I got the interpretation from was DreamMoods(dot)com. I do not own nor am afflicted with DreamMoods.


	5. Chapter 5

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such as if Ed were to yell "You're not my dad!").

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Edward stretched at his limbs, feeling renewed. Apparently his "campylobacteriosis" was gone.

"Hey Al." He said, but stopped. Al was nowhere to be found. Instead, a certain sleeping colonel was very close to him on the bed. Roy was slumped over and Ed instinctively knew that the man was going to have some sore parts when he woke up. Suddenly, everything that happened yesterday came back to him in a flash—even the things that happened during his fever late at night.

He. Kissed. Roy.

Oh god.

He was surprised he was still in the man's house. He was lucky the man did not throw him out on the street. _But why didn't he?_ Edward wondered, but tossed the thought aside. Even Roy would not be heartless enough to throw a sick boy out, surely? That might be the only reason he was still here.

The fever left with the campylobacteriosis, thus letting Edward ponder his thoughts further without the deliria of a fever.

_Why did I go to the Colonel's office, of all places?_ Of course, he already knew. _I felt safe there. Damn it. Roy looks so cute asleep. Damn him. I kissed those lips. Those very lips._ He felt a little hot just thinking about it, sadly. Damn teenage hormones. _I want...to do it again._

Lust can make one just as delirious as a fever. Edward slowly sat up, careful not to disrupt Roy. Slowly, ever so slowly, he leaned towards Roy. Just one little kiss—it shouldn't hurt. Edward's lips brushed with the colonel's. Ed applied a little pressure, and then pulled away completely. He turned dark red and couldn't believe he had honestly just done that.

A short while later, Roy stirred. He woke up with a backache due to the position he was in, but quickly recalled why he was in such a position.

Opening his eyes, Roy found Edward looking at him. Edward almost had the guilty look of a child who had been caught doing something wrong. Roy had seen it on Elysia when she was found sneaking candy without her dad's permission.

"What did you do?" Roy asked and then yawned. Edward turned so red that he looked like a tomato.

"What...what do you mean?" Edward asked. Obviously he thought or knew he had done something wrong.

"You have a guilty look on your face."

"I, uh. Nothing! I didn't do anything!" Edward said. Roy leaned a little closer to Edward, looking him straight in the eyes.

"You're a horrible liar." He stated. Edward quickly glanced at Roy's lips and then back into his eyes, and Roy knew.

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A/N: Oooh...what, exactly, did he know? Two options: 1. He knows Ed kissed him, or 2. He knows that Ed remembers last night. I'm going to leave you hanging. Until tomorrow. I have a lot of this story pre-written and thus am posting one chapter every day...


	6. Chapter 6

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such as if Ed were to yell "You're not my dad!").

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"You're a horrible liar." He stated. Edward quickly glanced at Roy's lips and then back into his eyes, and Roy knew: this was about the kiss. However, while Ed felt guilty about this morning's kiss, Roy thought he felt guilty about last night's kiss.

Roy joined Edward in blushing, and both alchemists leaned with their backs on the headboard, neither wanting to face each other.

"How much of last night do you remember?" Roy asked, awkwardly.

"All of it." Roy glanced at Edward quickly. Ed did not show signs of regret, hurt, pain, or any other negative emotion.

"I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." Roy found himself unable to say the word. "Well, to, you know, on the forehead. I'm deeply sorry."

"I'm not." Edward said boldly. Roy swung his head to face the boy now.

"You're not?"

"...No." Ed could feel himself backing down. He had known his whole life he was gay, and he knew he wanted the colonel, and he wasn't about to say he regretted kissing him. However, he was unsure of how Roy would react now.

"Say, hypothetically, I was to say that I was in love with you. Hypothetically, what would you do?" Roy asked.

"That's not fair to speak hypothetically." Edward could feel himself growing slightly irritable. Roy had no right to mess with him—especially over this.

Roy turned to face the teenage. Edward stiffened, and remained facing the wall opposite him. He didn't dare glance at Roy. Roy trailed a single finger along Edward's face and neck. Lightly. Edward could feel himself growing aroused and thanked whoever discovered cotton and thought of weaving it and making bed sheets.

Nothing could hide his breathing, however. He began to breathe just a bit heavier, and Roy smirked at it; he was getting the reaction he was expecting and wanted.

"Don't. Fucking. Mess with me." Edward breathed out.

"Who says I am?" Roy asked.

"You better not be." Edward leaned forward and began to kiss Roy. All of his wild fantasies, and he never imagined them coming true. Yet, here he was, kissing the man of his dreams, to be cliché.

Edward let his hand slide along Roy's thigh, but suddenly Roy stopped.

"Are you sure?" Roy asked.

"Of what?"

"Of...this. That you want to do this; that this isn't just a phase...or anything like that."

"A gay phase? Damn you; you sound like a parent."

"Sorry." Roy breathed, and began to kiss Ed again.

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A/N: Yay for jamming the parental complex down your throat! Haha. That was the perfect example of it, just so you take note.


	7. Chapter 7

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such as if Ed were to yell "You're not my dad!").

Ed goes through Roy's medicine cabinet. Ooh, what will he find?

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"Well then, I'm off to work." Roy called to Ed. "You have free range of the kitchen. Are you going to be okay alone all day?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. See you later."

The first thing Ed did when Roy left was taking a shower. His hair was greasy and he was starting to smell bad, due to the few days without a shower. In all fairness, he had tried to take a shower in the headquarters, but he felt too weak and that was when he went into Roy's office.

After Edward had taken a shower, dressed only in his pants, he decided to snoop through Roy's medicine cabinet. He felt a bit like a kid again, when he sometimes went through his mother's cabinet. Of course, as a kid, he didn't understand what most of the items were. Such as the cotton balls with strings attached, though later he found out they were tampons and blushed his way through learning what they were used for. At the time, he just knew that they absorbed water, and it was amusing.

Granted, as he felt like a kid again, Edward obviously choked on his own spit when he saw not one, but two boxes of condoms when he opened the medicine cabinet; one box had flavors and the other didn't.

Curiosity took a hold of him, and Ed pulled out a grape flavored condom.

He ripped open the wrapping with his teeth and delicately took out the condom. He examined it, since he had honestly never even seen a condom, a secret that he hid from everyone, except Al. He noticed that you could unroll it, and so he did.

After doing so, Edward took note that the condom looked like a balloon. Obviously, he blew it up.

Once it was a medium size, Edward tied it up and licked his lips. The result was that Ed had to gulp down some water from the sink. The grape-flavored condom didn't even taste like grapes! Hell, grape-flavored cough medicine tasted more like grape than this!

Ed let the offending balloon-condom fall to the floor. What other nifty things would The Great Flame Alchemist have in his medicine cabinet?

"...Dessert treats? Hmm. Lollipop flavored..." Edward read the tiny tube of lip-gloss. "Why the hell would Roy have this in his cabinet...?"

Again, Ed let curiosity win and he applied the gloss. Immediately, it began tingling, an act which frightened Edward.

He quickly began to wipe the gloss from his lips in anyway possible: licking his lips, wiping it on the back of his hand, etc. He noticed, in his frenzy, that the lip-gloss did taste good.

He shoved the lip-gloss in his pocket, making note to ask Roy why he kept it in his cabinet and why it tingled.

Bored with the cabinet, which had only regular things such as aspirin left, Edward left to explore the house.

Under the mattress: that was the first place Edward could think to look for...well, any other dirty items, such as magazines.

Thus, Edward made his way to Roy's bedroom, and stuck his hand under the mattress. Nothing. Wait...there was...a piece of paper? Ed took it out, unfolded it, and was shocked to see his name on top of it, following "Dear".

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Ahah. Condoms. Um, yes, I have tried a grape-flavored condom. Don't get any ideas though, because I pretty much tried it exactly like Ed did: I licked it out of curiousity. It wasn't used for...what flavored condoms are used for. And yes, the one I tried did taste like shit. I may have elaborated in this story a bit, but it wasn't good.


	8. Chapter 8

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such as if Ed were to yell "You're not my dad!").

Warning: A lot of cussing.

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_Dear Edward,_

The letter stated, but then the above statement was thoroughly crossed out. Underneath, the letter continued.

_Dear Fullmetal,_

_I strongly recommend it is time you get a new colonel. While I have appreciated all the years you have served under me, I feel certain inappropriate emotions directed towards you._ (Edward was amused at Roy's well-chosen word choice. "Certain inappropriate emotions" could be anything: love, hate, disgust, etc.)

_As a higher-ranking officer, I am well aware that it would be inappropriate for you to be forced to serve under me when such emotions are quite clear to me, and may become public. Thus, I will sign any form necessary and give a recommendation if necessary. I completely understand if you feel uncomfortable around me from here on, and will accept the consequences of what I am. I hold no grudge against you._

The letter trailed off from there. All of the above was written very neatly, as if Roy intended to send the letter out. Of course, when he sent it out, it would have been a couple of months ago, judging by the date. Anyway, the scribbling at the bottom made it quite clear that the letter was no longer eligible to be sent.

_I could never hold a grudge against you. I'm in love with you. Damn it. Fuck. Fuck. __FUCK!__ I hate myself. Why do you have to work under me, Mr. Elric, you short bastard?? I hate loving you. You're too short for me and I know it.(1)_

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SHORT YOU CAN'T HAVE A CRUSH ON HIM, BECAUSE EVEN THE WEIGHT OF A NON-LITERAL CRUSH MIGHT KILL HIM?" Edward cried out at the letter. He let himself cool down a bit before continuing.

_Why you? That's my biggest question. I've had crushes on men before, sure, but you're the only one I had to be close with. Others could just evaporate, eventually. I'm stuck with you. I'm stuck ON you. Fuck. As much as I honestly want to slap you sometimes, I mostly just want to draw you near, hold you, and FINALLY be able to kiss you._

_Shit. Shit, shit. Shit. SHIT. FUCKING SHIT!_

Edward never knew Roy had such a sailor mouth.

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(1) Psychology lesson: In the letter, Roy is trying to insult Ed to push himself away. However, he was trying to _mentally_ push Ed away, since he never meant Ed to read the letter.  
I'm sure that wasn't quite clear, so I thought I'd point it out.


	9. Chapter 9

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such as if Ed were to yell "You're not my dad!").

Warning: Even more cussing than the last chapter, I think.  
It gets angst in this chapter, but then again, all great stories need some hint of angst, right?  
Long chapter, I believe.

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Roy returned home that night to find Edward waiting for him.

"Why does this stuff tingle?" Edward immediately asked, holding up a small tube.

"...What stuff?" Roy asked and took the tube from Ed. "Oh. That's because it's 'lip plumping'. The tingling has to do with it plumping your lips." Roy froze. "Wait a minute, you were snooping through my stuff?"

Before Ed could answer, Roy made his way to the bedroom. Ed followed and watched Roy reach under the mattress. Roy found the note, but he knew from its position that Edward had read it. Roy always pushed it back further; an act that Ed could not accomplish due to the length of his arms. Of course, Roy failed to realize that the last time he had read it, he obviously hadn't pushed it back far enough, since Edward did reach it easily. It didn't matter though, since Roy came to the right conclusion.

Roy didn't bother pulling out the letter.

"Edward, go out into the hallway." Roy said, very calmly. Though nervous, Ed did as he was told. Roy shut the door behind him.

Roy walked over to the phone and dialed Hughes' number.

"Hello, Hughes residence." Maes answered.

"How do you punish children?" Roy asked.

"Excuse me?" Maes asked. He knew it was Roy from the voice, but was unsure as to why Roy would need parenting advice.

"Children snoop, right? Well, I've got a child here, and I need to know how to punish it." Roy stated. "So, how do you punish Elysia when she's been bad?"

"Oh, I've never had to punish little Elysia, she's such a sweetie. She never does anything wrong; she's daddy's little angel." Maes said in his cooing voice.

"HUGHES!" Roy yelled to shut the man up. He then continued in a calmer voice, "Then tell me how you would punish her, or how a parent who believed his child could do wrong would punish their children."

"Mostly I hear about spanking or grounding the child, Roy. However, as I said, Elysia is my angel. She was playing with a dolly yesterday, and I got the cutest pictures. I can't wait to show them to you tomorrow."

Roy slammed down the phone.

He breathed in deeply, and let it all out in a sigh. Then he turned and went to find Ed.

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"Edward, it was wrong of you to snoop. Children are supposed to be the ones to snoop, and I made the mistake of thinking you were above that. I'm sorry, but you will have to learn your lesson." Roy stated, once he had Edward back in the bedroom.

"Excuse me?"

"Ed, just cooperate and this will be easier." Roy started to walk toward Ed.

"No!" Edward flat-out refused. When Roy tried to take a hold of him to lead him to the bed, Edward struggled. Still, even against an automail leg and arm, Roy was stronger. He managed to take the boy and drape him over his leg, face down.

"What the fuck you are doing??" Edward cried out, panicked. Taking in a breath, Roy raising his arm, and brought it down on Ed's bottom. Ed yelped in shock and pain. Roy loosened his grip on Edward, and the boy quickly worked to get away.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Edward felt a slight dampness on his cheek and he brushed it away. Never, in all his life, had he been spanked, though he had heard of it.

Roy was determined to make this punishment work. "Edward. Do not—I repeat, DO NOT—go through my stuff without permission. It's extremely rude and can lead you to things you were not meant to see."

"Fuck you! This is all over that fucking letter, isn't it? So what if I fucking read it? Well, there, you got to slap me and kiss me all in one goddamned day. This should be the best day of your fucking life. Anything else you'd like to do? Use me for sex, how does that sound? Or, better yet, how about you beat me up? Then you can feel like a big man. So? Which is it? Would you rather use me like a big man in prison, or a big man in the common home—a father, shall we say? Hell, you could be both, if you'd like. Or how about another goddamned short joke? Then you can feel like a big man in one of the most literal senses." Edward's voice was hysterical and high-pitched, and becoming more so by the second.

"Edward!" Roy exclaimed, bringing Ed's rant to a halt. "Stop, just...please stop..." He could actually feel himself shaking at Ed's words. How could he possibly suggest such things—rape? Abuse? And how in this world did he tie _short jokes _in with those?

Roy could actually feel his breath leave him. He could almost hear it say _"Goodbye Roy, you bastard"_ as the ground came closer to his face and consciousness left him.


	10. Chapter 10

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such as if Ed were to yell "You're not my dad!").

Geez. I'm making Ed an asshole. It started in the last chapter and is continuing into this one. Apologizes. I'm just going to use the excuse that he's _pissed_, so he's getting a little OOC.

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Edward didn't realize what had happened to Roy until he heard the noise of a body hitting the floor: Roy had passed out. Of course, the actual part of being unconscious only lasts for a few seconds or minutes, and thus it didn't take Roy long to wake up.

"Mr. Big Man can't handle a fucking rant?" Edward demanded to know, once Roy had woken up. Roy stood up, and then covered Edward's mouth firmly with his hand. Roy looked Edward straight in the eye.

"Fullmetal, stop this right now. I simply meant to punish you for snooping."

"You went too far!" Ed interrupted.

"Maybe so, but not as far as you are claiming. If you honestly want to tie this in with rape and abuse, I would suggest you leave right now. I can't—don't want to deal with that." Roy said, changing his wording. He couldn't possibly let Edward know that he couldn't handle his suggestions. Of course, Edward knew that Roy was in love with him, but he didn't have to know the extent.

Edward was silent when Roy removed his hand.

Edward was not one to say he was sorry to Roy. He simply said, "Don't ever spank me again." As early as it was in the relationship, Roy knew that he meant: _"I do still love you and I am sorry. I didn't mean to lose control like that, and I still want to be a part of your life."_

"Don't ever suggest that I should rape or abuse you again. You know I'd kill anyone who even attempted to do that to you." Roy replied, since he was much more direct with his feelings than Ed. Edward smirked. He knew that "anyone" meant "any fucker", due to Roy's tone, and thought it was really sweet, in a mildly twisted way.

The two sat in silence for a minute. Finally, Edward broke the awkward silence.

"...So, why do the grape condoms taste like shit?" He asked. Roy flushed red, but quickly regained his composure.

"Hmm. Girls always did complain about the grape in those packs. Did you try strawberry? I heard that one is pretty good." Edward choked on his own spit with the directness of what Roy said. This was the second time today that he choked on his own spit; the supposed prodigy was on a record.

"Girls...grapes...strawberry?" Ed's voice rose to a squeak, and he turned red. He found himself glancing at Roy's crotch and then looking away a few hundred times.

Roy smirked. What a child.

"Edward." He said, and took a step closer to the boy. "The item which you are glancing at is, in fact, where condoms would be applied. Your assumptions are correct. Yes, the girls that have...been there have indeed said that grape was unsatisfactory and strawberry was quite well. Anything else?"

It was Edward's turn to pass out. He woke up a few seconds later, to find Roy standing over him.

"Mr. Don't Call Me A Child can't handle sexual descriptions?" Roy impersonated Edward from earlier, but jokingly, rather than cruelly, as Ed had been. "Come on. You asked."

"I just...I don't want to hear that...from a womanizing and old bastard who probably takes out sluts!" Edward burst, flustered.

"Edward... I should call Havoc and tell him that you called his ex-girlfriends sluts."

"I'd like to see that." Edward said, and Roy picked up the phone. Though Edward was disbelieving, Roy waited for a bit, and then said "Hello, Havoc? Oh. Okay. Well, may I speak to Jean Havoc, please?"

Edward gasped, finally believing that Roy was doing such a thing. He did what came instinctively—he kissed him.

"Hello? Hello? HELLO?" Havoc answered the phone. He paused and then realized that the noise he heard was the sound of kissing. "Roy?? Not this again! Oh, why Roy?? I don't want to listen to you make out with my girlfriends!" Havoc slammed down the phone, not that Ed or Roy noticed.

Havoc lit a cigarette as quickly as he could. "Damn bastard, always stealing my girlfriends." He sighed.

Back at Roy's house, the two men were still going strong.

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A/N: Hey, I've got a question for my readers. I pre-write my chapters. That way, I can post a chapter every day and still have more to come.  
However, it has been pointed out to me that I should make longer chapters.  
If I did this, it would take me longer to write each chapter, and thus I would fall behind and it would take longer to update. But! You would get more to read.  
So, it's your choice: Would you prefer chapters short-ish like they are now with the frequent updates, or would you like them longer, but slower updates?


	11. Chapter 11

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such as if Ed were to yell "You're not my dad!").

Warning: Contains a lime scene. You are warned before it happens though, and it's completely optional.

**A/N: I have some mild idea of where I am going with the story now! Cheer for me!**

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[If you recall from the last chapter, Ed and Roy are kissing.

Edward withdrew from Roy, panting and breathless.

"So, want to try out that strawberry condom?" Ed asked.

Roy hesitated before asking, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes; quite."

"I just...I don't want you to do anything you are going to regret."

"You really think I could regret something so minor? After what I've done in the past? Roy, I don't care if this is a huge mistake—I want to experience it." Edward said, before nipping and then licking Roy on the neck. Roy let a tiny moan escape his throat. "See? You want this just as badly as I do."

Roy didn't deny it.

"Alright then. I'm going to go get the condom. You stay here." Edward hopped up. He rushed to the bathroom and got the supplies—strawberry of course. He grabbed two just in case both wanted a spin.

Once he was back in the bedroom (A/N: Yes, they are indeed in the bedroom. I actually forgot that myself...Haha), he immediately saw that Roy was gone.

"Bastard!" He cussed under his breath. He immediately assumed that Roy had decided against doing anything, ripped open one of the two condom packets, and blew himself a balloon. He licked his lips afterwards and decided that Roy's..._women_ were right; strawberry was good.

"...What the hell are you doing?" Roy asked from the doorway. Edward froze and let the balloon fall.

"Uhh. Entertaining myself?" Edward said. "Where the hell did you go?" He then demanded.

"I went to get ice cubes."

"What for?" Edward gulped.

"Oh, you'll see."

**---Lime. Skip if you would rather just imagine it and not read it---**

The two men lay naked on the bed, after Edward had learned how good strawberry condoms really were.

"So..." Edward rolled to face Roy. "You still haven't told me what the ice cubes were for. And they are half melted by now."

Roy smirked and picked up an ice cube. He trailed it along Edward's collarbone, causing the teen to shiver. Then Roy leaned forward and licked the trail of water left by the ice. Edward gasped in surprise and arousal. (A/N: Okay, that might have been lemony...)

Roy continued to do this to various parts of Edward's body.

"Now then, let me show you the best way to use ice cubes." Roy took an ice cube in his mouth and then went down on Ed. The mix of warm and cold was wonderful and soon Edward was crying Roy's name out in passion.

**---End of lime---**

Before falling asleep, Ed decided that he loved strawberry condoms and ice cubes and mixes of cold and hot—at least in bed.


	12. Chapter 12

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such as if Ed were to yell "You're not my dad!").

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Naturally, Roy woke up before Edward. He managed to get out of bed without waking the teen.

Staring himself in the mirror, doubts begin to surface.

_What did you do?_

Roy took out his shaving razor.

_You SEDUCED a teenager._

He ran a stroke down his face, clearing the area of stubble.

_It's illegal, you know._

He shaved another area of hair.

_You're a pervert._

Mustang took care of mustache stubble.

_No, a pedophile. Roy Mustang is a pedophile._

"It wasn't technically sex." He said aloud.

_Like it matters._

Roy sighed. He wasn't going to get through to the voice in his head. He knew this too well. If it would just steer clear of one topic...

_Not to mention, you killed his childhood's friend's parents._

No such luck. Roy shuttered and his emotions burst. He kicked the cabinet below his sink, which was foolish, considering the pain that followed. Not that he cared—maybe he deserved pain.

"Damn it! Shit! SHUT UP! I know what I did was wrong. I seduced a fucking child; I am a pedophile. I'm old enough to be his dad! What the hell is wrong with me?" He burst out in fury towards himself.

"Fuck you!" Roy suddenly heard Edward yell. He opened to door to find a pissed little blonde. "I am not a goddamn child!" He stomped back to the bedroom, which was right down the hallway.

"AND!" Edward hollered. (Author's interruption: Wait for it, wait for it...) "YOU'RE NOT MY DAD!!"

With that being said, or rather shouted, Edward slammed the door.

"As if I'd raise such a destructive and disobedient child!" Roy hollered back as a last attempt to regain some control of the situation. He knew he failed.

Edward stayed in the room all day, and Roy didn't attempt to get him out. He had recalled that it was Saturday, and thus, he had a date.

Roy's doorbell rang around seven. Roy had planned a date with a girl named Jill to walk up to a restaurant up the street and eat dinner. Roy greeted Jill and then went to tell Ed that he was leaving.

Gently, Roy rapped upon his bedroom door.

"Go away!" Ed yelled.

"Ed?" Roy asked in a gentle voice, while opening the door. "Hey, I'm going out for a while. I have a date."

"EXCUSE ME??" Edward yelled at the top of his lungs.

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A/N: -grin- Roy is an idiot.


	13. Chapter 13

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

**Disclaimer:** I know I don't own Ed, but I feel the need to say that I do own Raphael, Falesyia, Aiden, and any other kids to come.  
**Warning:** When Ed enters the Hooligan's, he will get OOC. That's just the way it's going to be. You know how sometimes you act differently around different people? Like, fun with friends, but polite with teachers or something? That is sort of what Hooligan's is like; Ed loosens up in there.  
**Thank you:** This is to everyone who has ever reviewed this story. You are amazing and I love you. By the way, this story has officially beat "Phases". While the most reviews Phases has ever gotten on a chapter was 10 reviews, the last chapter I posted under this title got 11 reviews. Cool!

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Roy, being as stupid as he is, went on the date. After Edward yelled "EXCUSE ME??", Roy explained how he was going on a date, and all Edward could scream was "FUCK YOU; YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE, COLONEL!!" Of course, Jill asked what was the shouting, and he told her it was just his child.

_Fucking bastard. Damn him for going on a date. I knew we never **said** we were **exclusive**, but I would really hope that asshole would figure out that I thought we were dating. Not a sex toy that has to stand by while he takes out bitches. He must be socially retarded. Of course, maybe to him, this means nothing. Maybe I mean nothing. Maybe I am just another plaything?_ Thoughts ran faster than the speed of light through Edward's head. This could NOT be happening. He was left to sit alone while Roy went on a date—A DATE!—with some girl name Jill. No, she didn't deserve a name. She was _That Woman_, for all Ed cared.

This wasn't going to happen. He was not going to sit here and take this. He could go on a "date" too, and he knew where to go.

The building was dirty and run down, but it worked for what it was needed for: dirty and run down kids. The building and the kids belonged together. Thus, they were named together: hooligans; the kids were called hooligans and the building was Hooligan's. Edward smiled as he recalled that he himself was indeed a hooligan. He entered and was immediately and cheerfully greeted.

"Edo, my man! What's up? We haven't seen you in a while!" A brown-haired boy with dark brown eyes asked Ed. His clothes were somewhat dirty and he had the look of needing a shower.

"Nothing much is up, Raphael. I thought maybe I should pay you guys a visit." Ed replied, smiling. This was one of the first homes he had since he burned down his first. These children and teenagers had taken him in and made him feel accepted.

Most of the kids were of the teenage age and male. Also, and this was a big thing to note: most of them were gay or bisexual. There are always the exceptions, of course, and some of the kids were younger, some were female, and some were straight. All of them had no "home", and that is why they stayed here. Yes, some had houses, but not a place that they could consider home. Despite everything in his life, Ed had managed to sneak here when he needed to, and the others accepted him. Only Alphonse knew about this place; Ed kept it a secret from everyone else.

"Edward, darling, you've come!" Another male exclaimed. This male and Edward exchanged European cheek kisses.

"Falesyia, how have you been doing?" Edward asked rather cheerfully. Falesyia had gotten his name from a girl he once met. Supposedly, it means exotic. No one even knew what his real name was. "Can you tell me if Aiden has been around?"

"I've been doing fabulous. Yes, he has, dear. Let me go fetch him." Falesyia left into another room and soon returned with another teenage male.

You could say that Aiden was breathtaking, and it would not do. The boy's black hair swept over almost half his face, and his dark eyes burned with passion. He was almost a miniature Roy, but was much different in personality. Once, in a spree of looking up the meanings of names, Edward had found it ironic that Aiden meant "little fire".

"Ah, alchemist, you return to us." Aiden said coldly.

"Yes, street urchin, I've come to see if you were all dead yet." Edward said just as coldly. The two locked eyes, and it was then that their charade ended; they smiled and the two then locked lips.

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**You, in the role of a crazy RoyEd fan:** NOOO! He's cheating on Roy!!  
**Me:** And Roy is cheating on him! Just give it some time. Roy and Ed need to work out where they stand.  
**Ed:** Excuse me?? That bastard doesn't consider us dating, so why should I? I'm pretty sure that neither of us is cheating.  
**You: **Who the fuck is this Aiden? I'll kick his and Jill's ass for trying to break up RoyEd. They don't belong with Roy or Ed! Roy and Ed belong together!! THAT'S WHY IT'S ROYED!!  
**Me:** Uhh...neither Aiden nor Jill knows about RoyEd. Is that really fair?  
**You:** -throws a fit- YES!!  
**Me:** ...No it isn't!  
**You:** But...but...Roy...and Ed...they are going to be together, right?!?!  
**Me:** Yes, yes, calm down. We'll get to that point eventually. -snickering- -thinks: _heehee, I just made anyone who read this story be crazy._-


	14. Chapter 14

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

**Anti-Disclaimer:** I would also like to claim ownership of Gabriel.  
**Note:** I changed the story. I was going to make Ed and Aiden have sex, but decided against it (not a lemon; it would just say that they had sex). I think some RoyEd fans would die a little inside if I did that. Especially considering what Roy is going to tell Ed later on... (muwahaha, yes, that was a teaser)

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The two teenagers, Edward and Aiden, stopped kissing each other and looked at each other. They then glanced around, blushing. A few people in the room were looking at them, but they mostly went unnoticed. Of course, it wasn't that weird to see two boys kissing in Hooligan's.

"How have you been, Edward? Better yet, _where_ have you been?" Aiden asked.

"I've been staying at a friend's house. That damn chicken you gave me gave me food poisoning. Campylobacteriosis, but I doubt you know what that is."

"It sounds like a bacteria you pick up from camp."

"...Not quite. We should go into a backroom..." Ed suggested, seeking privacy. He then followed Aiden to a room that Aiden shared with a much smaller and younger boy named Gabriel.

"Hey Gabriel. How have you been, squirt?" Edward rubbed the small boy's head.

"Who're you calling so small that he would drown in a drop of water??" Gabriel blurted. He grinned up at Ed with a few teeth missing and red eyes sparkling. "Ed, I want to be just like you."

Ed grinned. "You're doing a good job."

Gabriel had arrived at Hooligan's a couple of years ago. He was about four back then, and Edward had taken to the boy as if Gabriel was his own son (and once Aiden had come along, he too joined in the parenting). The boy had been bruised and bleeding, all induced by his Ishbalan mother, angry at the military, who decided to take it out on her son. That wasn't fair, and so Gabriel's brother brought him here, and then disappeared into the night. One male seven-year-old had commented on how weak this kid was for not fighting back, and Edward had personally seen to it to punch several teeth out of that seven-year-old boy's mouth.

Gabriel was six now, but he was as short as Ed had been at that age. It wouldn't be surprising if Gabriel stayed as short as Ed.

"Hey Gabriel, how about you go and play with some of the guys out there, okay? Ed and I want to catch up." Aiden said sweetly to the small boy.

"Okay!" Gabriel said cheerfully, and took a broken toy car out with him to play with. As soon as the door had closed, Aiden slammed Edward firmly but quietly against a wall. The two began to kiss hungrily, each aching for the other's contact.

Aiden detached himself from Edward's mouth and full on bit his neck. It hurt, but Ed liked it at the same time. Naturally, he somewhat tried to shrug away from the contact, but resisted the instinct to fully pull away.

Aiden was always rough during sex. Ed had never given that fact a second thought. This time was different, however. This time, as Aiden was biting him, before anything even happened, Ed felt a bit guilty. Sure, it wasn't cheating, and maybe it was equivalent exchange for Jill, but he couldn't follow through. Awkwardly, he pulled Aiden back up from where he was headed (but didn't get), and began kissing him again.

Aiden pulled away when he was breathless. "So, what's up?" he managed to say between gasps of air.

"I...I just can't...I'm sorry. Do you mind if we keep it to kissing?" Ed said, almost ashamed in two ways. One, he had never denied Aiden. Two, he wasn't cheating. Roy had _That Woman_. Why would he care what happened to Ed? Still, Ed couldn't bring himself to go further than kissing.

"I don't mind at all." Aiden answered, which was a relief to Edward. He kissed Ed on the forehead. Ed had forgotten how sweet and understanding Aiden was. Unlike one Bastard Colonel, who didn't even understand that Ed had been under the illusion that they were dating.

Ed and Aiden silently came to an agreement of when they were done kissing. Both were lying down next to each other, on their backs.

Suddenly, Aiden flipped to his side so that he was facing Edward, whom was still on his back. "So, do tell. Who is this friend you've been staying with?"

"I've told you about Colonel Bastard, right?"

"Yes. You complain about him whenever you have to go away on missions. Gabriel has come to see him as The Devil."

"Well...it's him." Aiden's eyes raise high enough to both be hidden by his bangs. "Ed, are you sure you should be doing that? The way you described him, he sounds like an asshole..."

"Well, he's not really, once you get to know him." Edward said, feeling defensive. Of course, at this very moment, that bastard was probably still on his date, charming the girl. He growled at the image in his head. "Of course, sometimes he is definitely a bastard."

"Um. Okay." Aiden said, clearly confused.

"Don't worry about it. I know how to take care of myself." Ed said and leaned up and kissed Aiden on the forehead. "It's getting late. I should probably be leaving."

Aiden walked Ed to the door. Of course, Ed had to say goodbye to Falesyia and Raphael, and so was delayed slightly. Gabriel delayed him even more. Ed scooped the boy up into his arms and tickled him. Gabriel squealed with delight and squirmed to get away.

"Daddy! Stop it!" He gasped in delight. Edward didn't react to this except for a small smile. He was used to Gabriel accidentally calling him "daddy". In fact, he kind of liked it. The way the young boy said it—with such joy in his voice—told him that he was not like his own father. He made "his" child happy. Finally, Ed put Gabriel down to find Aiden smiling at him.

"What?" Edward asked.

"Oh nothing. You would just make the best dad ever." Aiden said, being rather truthful with his feelings.

Finally, the boys got to the door. They exchanged a short peck on the lips and a hug, and then Edward left into the cold and dark night.

His thoughts home consisted mostly of questions: what if Roy was mad? What would he do to Ed if he were angry? Did he have sex with _That Woman_?

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**A/N:** Okay, I know that normally, an Ishbalan woman would not hurt her family. However, Gabriel's mother was an exception. As implied in the last chapter, to every group of stereotypes or people, there must be an exception.

Ed is going to kill me. I called him short...twice.

For the people that don't understand: some people like it...rough. I, personally, don't like being bitten... It hurts and I'm not really sure how it's a turn on. However, it fits in with later chapters. Well, the next chapter, and the one after that. Um. I'm going to be alternating between calling the thing on Ed's neck a "bite mark" and a "bite bruise". They are the same thing. It's a bruise caused by a bite. Um. I've heard people call it a "love bite" too...ahaha. No, I'm not going to refer to it as that.


	15. Chapter 15

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

**Note:** Oh, I know...Roy is so OOC. Sorry. :(  
**P.S.** I completely lied to you all. Remember how I said that Ed's bite bruise would come to play in this chapter? Nope, it doesn't. I had forgotten that I changed to order of things. Sorry.

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Edward noted that the lights were off when he got to Roy's house. Thus, either Roy was still on his date, or he was in bed.

Ed shuttered: did he sleep with _That Woman_?

In an attempt to be quiet, Edward slowly opened the door. When he had it about ¾ open, a light clicked on. Roy was sitting in a chair, looking straight at him. **(A/N: I'm not sure where I got this idea from, but I have always feared walking in to my house a few minutes late and then suddenly a light clicks on, and your parent is sitting there to punish you.)**

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Roy asks in a deadly calm voice. "Where the hell have you been?"

"None of your damn business." Edward snapped, taking off his coat.

"You could have left a note or something. It is indeed my 'damn business', due to the fact that this is my house." Roy answered.

"I, personally, don't think that it is necessary to leave a note; as I told you earlier today, you're not my dad. You would have had to impregnate my mother at the age of thirteen. Speaking of sex, how was your date?" Edward sideswiped the question about where he had been. The last sentence, about the date, was spit out with cruelty and underlying hurt.

"The date went fine, but I have the sneaking suspicion that you do not actually care." Roy said.

"Damn straight. What I do wonder: did you get laid?" Edward held his breath, waiting for Roy to avoid the question or confirm his suspicions.

"No." The way that Roy said it, Edward could not help but believe him. There was no room for argument and the truth was evident in his voice. Suddenly, Ed felt guilty. He has thought that Roy was getting laid or at least doing _something_ with this woman, so here he went and made out with street urchin. Of course, Roy could read Ed like a book. "Why do you look guilty all of the sudden?"

Ed turned red due to embarrassment of his guilt being so obvious. "Uh...I, um...It's nothing."

Roy wasn't that good though, and chalked up the wrong conclusion. "You honestly thought that I had sex, didn't you? When you assume, Edward, you make an 'ass out of u and me'." Roy said.

"That's why I don't assume." Edward grinned. "I make assumptions." His choice of words killed the cliché immediately. Roy smirked at the cleverness of it.

"That's why I love you, Ed."

"...Then why did you go on a date tonight?" Ed asked.

"I didn't want to be rude and cancel at the last minute. She had been looking forward to this date for weeks. But nothing happened, I promise. I admit that I kissed her hand, however. That was just to be a gentleman."

"What about future dates with women?"

"Canceled."

"Are we dating, then?"

"That depends on you. Edward Elric, will you be my boyfriend?" As much as Ed wanted to say yes, he had to consider his situation with Aiden...

"Um. Well..." Ed started.


	16. Chapter 16

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

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"_Um. Well..." Ed started. _"Can you give me some time to think about it? I know this may be confusing, but I have some situations to take care of." Edward said, being careful about his phrasing. He already knew his answer: yes. He just wanted to make sure that Aiden would be okay and tell him about how their relationship would have to be.

"Of course. Um, by the way, what is that on your neck?" Roy asked, while trying to get a better view of what looked like to him a bite bruise.

Ed covered it up. "Nothing."

"Edward, I am your commanding officer, and for your own safety, I demand to see what is on your neck." Roy gently pulled Ed's hand away to see that he was right and saw that said bite bruise was so detailed that he could make out separate teeth. "Who the fuck did this?" He asked angrily. He had sworn to Ed that he would kill anyone who hurt him, yet here Ed stood, injured... He owed someone death.

"He...just, uh...He's no one." Ed said, turning red. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell Roy about Aiden; it was too soon. Roy was able to judge Ed's blushing and knew that the teen had gotten this willingly. He refused to the images entering his head about how far Ed could have gone.

"What is the full extent of the...damage? Do you have anything more?" Roy asked, struggling with his words. He felt the feeling of betrayal rising in him, but ignored it. He let his concern for Ed and anger at this stranger rule over it.

"Well, no..." Edward looked away in shame. He couldn't believe he did this to Roy, even if he stopped it before anything more than kissing happened.

"I get to return your question now: Did you get laid?" Roy asked, as nervous as Ed had been.

"No." Edward said.

"I have to say that the bite wound is pretty bad." Roy let a bit of his anger show, to let Ed know that he was angry with the mystery person.

"I know." Edward replied simply.

"Who is this person? I should hunt the person down and burn them to death. I know people in the investigation department, after all. If a military soldier is being hurt, they have the right to investigate." Roy said and waited. He didn't have to wait long.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH AIDEN!" Edward burst.

"Ah, now we have a name."

Ed blushed at his predictability. "...You're a bastard." He said.

"I'm so sure, Ed—I'm not the one who bit you that hard. Honestly, you like this?" Roy poked the bruise. Ed flinched only the tiniest bit, but grew slightly angry.

"So what if I do?"

Roy smirked and licked Ed's neck gently on the other side (after all, he didn't know what this 'Aiden' could have in his saliva). Ed inhaled in a gasp, and due to that, Roy could tell he like it. "Yeah, yet you like this too? That's pretty contradictory."

"Well. I, uh. It's—it's different when it's you!" Ed said, blushing.

He was conflicted with his emotions. He liked it rough with Aiden and gentle with Roy? That made no sense. Did it? Roy was rougher with him verbally, and Aiden was always gentle verbally. Maybe the two balanced out.

Roy went on with talking, "Is it now? How old is this 'Aiden'? Is he the reason you can't say yes, despite the fact that we both know you want to?" Roy asked, certain of the last bit. He could tell that Ed was just itching to say yes.

"Yes; seventeen; and kind of, but it's not his fault. But I doubt you could understand our situation." Ed answered. Roy sighed.

"Edward, I'm going to tell you a story..."

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Extremely-random-and-has-nothing-to-do-with-next-chapter author's question: When I finally return Alphonse to the story, would you prefer Restored!Al or Al in the Armor? I can work with him either way, so it doesn't matter to me.


	17. Chapter 17

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

Side-note: Restored!Al it is. I am going to make up some way that he got his body back, however. Due to the fact that this is pretty much set during the series.  
Also, I have officially gotten over 100 reviews on this story XD

This chapter: Roy's story. He is telling this to Ed, thus it is **Roy's point of view**.

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When I was sixteen, as you are today, I was very alike you. Of course, I had girls swooning over me, just like now. I played along. However, it never felt quite...right. I liked girls, sure, but I had a crush on an older man named Simon. He was only nineteen, but at the time it seemed like a huge age difference. Anyways, I thought I loved him.

Late in the night, the two of us would sneak out of our houses and meet up. He's the one that taught me the ice cube trick.

Despite being a lady's man, it's Simon that I lost my virginity to. It was that that convinced me that I loved the man. Of course, soon after, we got in so many fights that we decided we couldn't see each other. They were such stupid fights, too. Once it was over whether to put butter on the popcorn or not. He busted my lip over what movie to sneak into; in turn, I gave him a black eye for saying that flames are irritating to the eyes (which is ironic in more ways than one if you think about it).

After Simon, I swore I would never fall in love again—male or female. Thus, leading to me breaking it off with girlfriends before we could get to know each other. It also led to completely ignoring the same sex. I refused to acknowledge that I was partially that way. I despised myself for it.

Then one day, I met another male. He was far too young for me, but I fell in love, and fast. He never acknowledged that I was a person—he hated me. To distance myself, I mocked him and his flaws. I tried to convince myself that he was a brat. It didn't work. It made me fall in love more. I knew him for about five years and was still trying to ignore my love for him. Then, late one night, I found him asleep, and as I glanced down at him, all I could think was that he looked like an angel. I wished I could have told him I loved him.

Of course, I guess I just did.

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I want to point out the severe irony:  
Simon said that flame was irritating to the eyes. Well, thus Roy hurt his eye for it. Not _only_ that, but Roy IS Flame. So, it could easily be re-written that Roy is irritating to Simon's eye—which he was, since he bruised it.  
At the time, however, Roy was just defending fire back then. We all know that he is a pyromaniac.  
Sorry. You probably noticed that all on your own, but I made that phase and _then_ realized how ironic I made that. It made me kind of happy.

Also, you get two updates on this story today. I'm not sure when, but I will give you another chapter today.


	18. Chapter 18

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

**A/N:** Yes, you get two updates in one day. I think you all deserve to know what Ed is going to say, and you deserve more than just Roy's story.  
I threw in a little something so that they are at least a little bit in character. I am doing terribly at keeping Roy and Ed in character, I know.

Okay, back to **third person point of view**!

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"...Of course, he is quite a short angel..." Roy added. The blush that had risen to Ed's face when Roy said he loved him left with that addition.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT HE COULDN'T GET YOU TO CLOUD NINE BECAUSE HE'S STUCK ON CLOUD ¼ BECAUSE HE'S SO SHORT??" Ed burst out.

Roy smirked and kissed Ed. "I'm sure I'm tall enough to get us to cloud nine, Ed."

Ed ignored Roy's comment and sunk into his own thoughts.

Ed wasn't sure how to feel. He loved Roy; he knew that. It was a sure fact.

However, he loved Aiden too. Aiden was different though—they had never been, nor ever planned to be, in a true relationship. Considering the way things were, both knew they would probably cheat on the other. Instead, they kept their relationship to friends with certain benefits...and a child, if you count Gabriel.

As opposed to Aiden, Ed _could_ date Roy. That is, if Roy stopped dating women.

The awkward pause was finally ended when Edward decided to voice his thoughts. "Roy? Yes, I will be your boyfriend. Aiden and I...were never dating. Just, can you promise me one thing?" Edward finally said the answer he wanted to since Roy asked the question.

"Of course." Roy said.

"Promise me no more dates with women. I doubt you have any idea how much that hurt."

"I'm sorry, Ed. It will never happen again. It was extremely foolish of me, and I'll admit it." Roy said, looking just ashamed enough that Ed was able to answer the way he does.

"It's okay." Ed said and kissed Roy on the lips. "Tomorrow, I'll go and tell Aiden that he can't do this anymore." He pointed at his bite bruise.

---

"Aiden, I'm really sorry, but we have to stop doing anything, uh... sexual, including kissing. I am dating someone now..." Ed said awkwardly.

"Colonel Bastard?" Aiden asked. He didn't sound sad or upset. In fact, his voice said that he fully expected it.

"AHH! The Devil? Where? Hide me or he'll burn me up!" Gabriel joked. He crawled under the bed with his head poking up and grinned up at Ed.

"Yes." Ed said to Aiden. He then squatted to be closer to Gabriel. He rubbed Gabriel's hair before correcting the boy. "Darling, it's not nice to joke like that. I would never let The Devil hurt you, okay?"

Ed knew that if Roy ever heard an Ishbalan boy saying that Roy was going to burn him up, he would want to kill himself, and it nearly broke his heart.

"Yes, Daddy. I'm sorry." Gabriel looked at Ed with worry in his eyes. Ed smiled at the boy.

"It's okay, dear."

"So, can we still hang out? He didn't forbid you to see me, did he?" Aiden asked randomly.

"Of course not." Ed said, looking up at the teenager. He flashed back to last night:

"_I'm not forbidden to see him, am I?" Ed asked._

"_No. I know I could never stop you from seeing him." Roy answered. "I can mark you, however, and maybe he'll understand that you are now __**mine**__." Roy, being gentle the way he was (involving anything sexual, at least), merely gave Ed a hickey by sucking the skin on his neck, rather than biting him._

"You know I'd never let anyone do that to me." Ed finished.

"That's good." Aiden said absently. He was looking at the hickey on Ed's neck. Ed flushed and turned just enough so his shirt collar hid that it and Aiden couldn't see it anymore.

"Now then, ice cream anyone?" Edward waved some money that Roy had left him this morning to "spend on whatever he likes".

Gabriel leaped out from under the bed, shouting, "ME! ME!"

Edward and Aiden, broken from his trance, smiled down at the young boy.


	19. Chapter 19

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

This is a pretty long chapter. It is so much longer than I thought it would be.

----------------------------------------------------

"Gabriel, hun, you're getting ice cream all over your face." Aiden giggled. Indeed, Gabriel was somehow managing to get ice cream smeared across his face as if he was shoving his face straight into it—which, surprisingly, he wasn't. The two of them were with Ed at a local ice cream shop. They sat at a table outside of it.

Ed licked his own ice cream cone. He glanced over at the two and noticed that Aiden was avoiding a spot. Smiling lightly, he set down his (flat-bottomed) cone. He picked up his own napkin, and began to wipe away some of Gabriel's ice cream.

As the process of cleaning Gabriel went on, Aiden and Ed brushed hands. Almost instinctively, yet ironically against every instinct they had, they pulled away and blushed.

"S-sorry." Ed said, ashamed that this was the way it might have to be.

"No, I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to—." Ed cut Aiden off.

"It was an accident."

Gabriel, on the other hand, just looked between the two teens, clearly not understanding. "Aiden? Ed?" He questioned quietly, both wanting to know what was going on, and at the same time, unsure of if he should interrupt them. The two did hear Gabriel and looked down to see what was wrong. "Is everything okay?" He asked shyly.

"Yes." Aiden and Ed said together, trying to reassure the boy. They looked at each other.

"We are okay, aren't we?" Aiden asked quietly and severely uncertainly. Ed looked at Gabriel. He then saw that there was a toy store across the street.

"Gabriel, you see that toy store across the street? You can go look there if you want. Aiden and I just need to talk, okay? If you're good, I may buy you a toy."

"Okay, Daddy." Gabriel nodded, and then ran excitedly across the street (after looking both ways, of course).

Ed and Aiden sat across from each other at their table. "So?" Aiden asked, wanting his earlier question to be answered.

"As far as I know, we are. Just...we can't be exactly like we were before..." Ed said. "Does that make any sense?"

"Of course it does." Aiden glanced at Ed's hands, which were on the table. He took them into his own hands, rubbing the hands with his thumbs. Ed inhaled sharply and blushed, but soon relaxed. "Am I allowed to do this?" Aiden asked, keeping his head down. He couldn't look Ed in the eyes right now.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's okay. It can't possibly be considered cheating." Ed said, feeling Aiden's sorrow, yet was unsure why Aiden felt so depressed.

"It's just...Never mind." Aiden stopped himself. He pulled his hands away.

"It's just what? Aiden, please tell me." Ed, using his flesh hand, took a hold of Aiden's chin with it. Gently, Ed guided the other boy's face to look toward his own. Aiden blushed heavily.

"I just...I don't want to forget how you feel..." Aiden said and then jerked his head away. He couldn't believe he had just told Ed that.

Ed's hand fell. Aiden felt just like Al did. Guilty hit him as he remembered his brother's words: _"__We've been right beside each other all this time. But I can't remember what your skin feels like, or how you smell."_(1)

"Aiden, I promise you: I won't let that happen." Ed stood up and walked over to the front of Aiden. He tugged him into a standing position as well, and then Edward took Aiden into a hug.

Ed could hear Aiden breathing deeply as though trying not to cry, and could feel his shuttering slightly. Ed rubbed Aiden's back to soothe him. Finally the two parted. Aiden sniffed.

"I guess...I guess I'm just scared. I don't want to lose you. I've lost people before. I'll never get over any of it. Sometimes I'll be lying in bed, and I manage give myself a panic attack, thinking that maybe you won't come back from a mission..." Aiden had a few tears coming out of his eyes now, but he roughly brushed them away. Ed moved in for another hug, but Aiden waved him off. "I'll be fine, just give me a minute."

Just as Aiden had decided he was okay, Gabriel came running out of the store, eager to show Aiden and Ed a toy boat. "Look! Isn't it cool??" He asked.

"Gabriel, you couldn't have possibly paid for that. Did you just take it out of the store?" Aiden asked, fearfully. Sure enough, a store manager came running out a few seconds later.

"HEY YOU THIEF! RETURN THAT AT ONCE!" The man yelled, going red in the face with anger. Gabriel squealed and made as if to run. However, Ed took a hold of his shoulders, firmly but not enough to hurt. Gabriel cowered behind Edward. Aiden stayed only when he saw that Ed was staying, though he was scared as well. He hated authority.

"Is there a problem, sir?" Ed asked.

"YES! THAT BRAT"—the man jabbed his finger towards Gabriel—"JUST STOLE MY MERCHANDISE!" He shouted.

"First of all, sir, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from calling my boy a 'brat'. Second, pointing is rude and please keep your finger out of my boy's face."—as Ed said this, he swatted the man's hand down, where it fell by his side—"Third, how much is the toy? I have money to pay for it. My boy merely came out here to show me the item. He had no intention of stealing it." Edward said calmly. The man seemed to become angrier, but refused to show it (besides his reddening face), due to the face that this teenager used such polite language.

Thus, he merely muttered the price, which Edward easily paid.

"By the way, sir, if there is a problem with children in the future, I strongly advise that you talk to the parents first and avoid calling the kids 'brats'. Maybe you'll come off as a better person. Personally, I will make sure to tell others to avoid this place, after seeing such a rude display from the manager." Ed said, and turned on his heel to walk away. Aiden followed. The man was left standing, embarrassed and ashamed.

Gabriel stuck out his tongue at the man and ran after Ed and Aiden.

----------------------------------------------------

(1) Quotation is from Episode 6.

Isn't that cute? Ed called Gabriel "his boy".


	20. Chapter 20

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

**This chapter has** **lime** towards the end, just so you know. If you honestly hate limes, stop reading at the paragraph that beings _"Ed opened his mouth"_ and restart when it says _"For the first time"._  
I could have easily made the end be a lemon, but I'm not sure that I want the rating to go up.

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After the run in with the store manager, Aiden and Ed mutually decided to call the day to an end. Ed walked the two others back to Hooligan's. Ed and Aiden exchanged a rather awkward hug, choked with regret from Ed and reminiscence from Aiden. Aiden resisted the instinct to kiss Ed before it even came, and Ed drew back fast enough to show he was avoiding it too.

Ed kneeled down to give Gabriel a hug.

"Thank you for the present, Daddy."

"Anytime, kiddo." Ed replied. He then departed for Roy's house.

---

When Roy came home from work that day, Edward practically tackled him. Roy could sense that Ed was upset as the blonde buried his head in Roy's shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around Ed.

Edward said something to the shoulder that was intended for the head of Roy.

"What?" Roy asked gently. Ed pulled his head out and looked up at Roy, clearly upset.

"I made him cry." He said and then burrowed his head back into Roy's shoulder. He because to breathe deeply and shutter, exactly as Aiden did, as though not to cry. _What am I doing? _Ed asked himself. _I don't cry. I can't. I won't_. Yet, here in Roy's arms, he felt as if it was okay and as if it wasn't wrong. He refrained from it mostly, except for a few tears, which quickly soaked into Roy's uniform.

Roy held onto Ed until the teen had calmed down. Though he didn't show it, Roy felt as if he was drowning; he couldn't breathe. _What if Edward regrets all of this?_ Roy thought and then reconsidered. _If Ed regrets all of this, I'll let him do what he wants. All I want for him is his happiness, right?_

Finally, Ed pulled his head away. "Roy, am I doing the right thing?"

_Selfishly, I'd like to think so,_ Roy thought. However, aloud, he said, "Only you can decide that, and I think you know it."

Ed sighed.

"I think I am, but Aiden made me feel so unsure. I just...I wish there were more definite boundaries between him and I. He and I have never even pictured actually dating, yet he's crying because I have someone else..." Edward inhaled deeply, willing himself to stay strong, and then continued, "It's not fair. He should have told me if he wanted to date me. Well, it's too late for him now. Oh, damn it. I'm sorry. I should stop telling you all this." Ed said, embarrassed. Roy smiled lightly and ran his hand through the blonde's bangs.

"It's okay." He said, which actually meant: _"It's okay—it makes me feel trusted that you could share this with me."_

Suddenly, Ed stood up on his toes and pressed his lips on Roy's own. Willingly, Roy kissed back. _It's just like all the other times. Perfection. This is how I want to feel._ Edward thought.

Ed opened his mouth and Roy joined him, both beginning to use tongues. Roy's grasp became less of a hug now, and more of him feeling Ed up.

Ed then stroked Roy's bulge through his pants. Roy gasped and broke off. He was so used to woman—most of whom would never do such a thing. Looking down at Ed, he knew that this teenager was not a woman, and he had more guts. He began to kiss him again.

Eagerly, Ed began to tug at Roy's pants, trying to undo the button. Equally, Roy began to undo Ed's pants. Of course, Roy got the boy's pants off first, but in all fairness, Ed got Roy's pants off soon afterwards.

As Roy was pulling off Ed's shirt, the kiss had to be broken, and Ed whined at the loss. As soon as Ed's shirt was off, Ed began kissing Roy again and shoved his hands up Roy's shirt, happily enjoying the feel of the older man's chest.

His hands began to roam lower, making gentle circles along Roy's skin. Roy had no idea why this aroused him, but he didn't really care at the moment.

Roy broke off the kiss. "Ed?"

"Mm?" At this point, Ed was so filled with lust that he was incapable of making full words.

"Bedroom. I'm not about to have sex with you in my doorway." Roy was grateful he had been able to shut the door earlier before the teen attacked him.

The two slowly made their way to the bedroom, teasing each other along to way, such as passing graces against the swelling in their boxers.

Finally, they made it to the bedroom.

For the first time, Roy and Ed had sex.

At the end, Edward was actually comparing sex with Roy to sex with Aiden. He decided that he liked it with Roy just a bit better. Aiden was good, but sometimes the pain overtook the pleasure. With Roy, it was basically pleasure all the way.

Ed snuggled against Roy with these thoughts in mind. He had never imagined Roy to be one to snuggle, either, but he apparently was.

Silently, he agreed with himself that he was doing the right thing. This was what he wanted.

----------------------------------------------------

There! Roy and Ed are finally not only together, but both are sure that they want to be together. That should make quite a few people happy.  
I must note, however, that Aiden cannot completely disappear. In fact, he is going to appear in a lot of future chapters. They are going to be kind of like cute little drabbles dedicated to their cuteness. Hmm. If any label, it'd be Onesided!OCXEd, and Friendship!EdXOC. The OC (original character), of course being Aiden.  
Oh, plus the Parental!EdXOC (Gabriel) continues.

Next chapter: Guess who is finally coming back?


	21. Chapter 21

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

I think I'm a horrible person...I'm sorry it took so long to bring Al back. He's a huge part of Ed's life, I know. If you don't recall, he was in Resembool with Winry.

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The next few days pass without much incident. Ed avoided going to see Aiden during the time; he wanted to strengthen his relationship with Roy. The one important event was that Edward received a rather interesting phone call.

---  
"Mm." Ed groaned a little as he woke up to the sound of the shower running. Suddenly, he was wide-awake. Al was coming back today! He had received the call yesterday.

Ed leapt out of bed and started getting dressed. Roy was "lucky" enough to enter in on the excitement.

"What could possibly have you awaked at this hour?" Roy asked.

"Al is coming back today! Don't you remember?" Ed answered and asked.

"Yes, but his train doesn't get in until the afternoon."

"So what! I'm still excited." Ed replied. "So, are you joining me to greet him?"

"Unfortunately, I can't. I'm really sorry, Ed. The military officials say that because Al isn't part of the military, it isn't right that I should get off of work to greet him. I couldn't tell them why I wanted to greet my subordinate's brother, lest they know we are in a relationship."

"Bastard." Edward said automatically, but not angrily. He understood the need to keep their relationship a secret (from the military, at least).

"Ah, well, you love me." Roy said, knowing this to be true.

"And you love me too." Edward said, also knowing this to be true.

"Yes." Roy agreed. He looked at his pocket watch and sighed. "I've got to go." He kissed Ed goodbye and left.

---

Ed passed the time waiting for his brother by reading. Finally, it came time to leave for the train station.

---

Edward was bouncing on his heels, eager to see his suit-of-armor brother. He absently wondered what had taken Alphonse so long in Resembool, but let it slip as a train pulled up. It didn't matter; Al was probably just spending quality time with Winry.

This was Al's train.

Ed didn't even try to look very hard. It was not that hard to pick out a seven-foot tall suit of armor from the crowd. However, when the train was leaving, and Ed was still alone, he began to worry. What if Al was attacked on the train?

Suddenly, a boy walked out from the crowd. He was coming towards Ed. The boy had the same hair cut as Ed, causing Ed to scowl. Who was this boy—another Edward Elric impersonator, like Russel?

The boy stepped right up to Ed, and then touched Ed's arm, but only briefly. The boy smiled.

He then took a deep breathe through his nose, as if smelling the lovely fumes coming from the train. He smiled bigger.

"Now I remember." He said simply. For a second, Ed almost believed the voice sounded familiar.

"Who are you, kid?" Ed asked. As he asked the question, he thought he recognized the face. He just couldn't place his finger on it. The boy tilted his head to the side.

"Nii-san, it's me." Ed's eyes widened.

"Al??" Ed looked the boy up and down.

"But...how?" Ed asked. Rather than answer, Alphonse collapsed into Ed's arms, sobbing. Ed wrapped his arms around Al protectively.

"Dad...dad..." Al sobbed. Ed, since he hated his father, got the wrong idea.

"What the fuck did that man do?" He asked, thoroughly angered. Al pulled back, sniffed, and wiped his nose on his sleeve.

"No. It's not like that, brother. Hohenheim...sacrificed himself to give me this." Al sniffed again. "I told you he wasn't bad."

"Is he...is he dead, then?" Ed asked.

"I don't know. There was nothing left..." A few tears ran down Al's face. "Brother, what am I worth that he isn't? He's possibly dead because of me..."

"You said he sacrificed himself. Wasn't it willingly?" Ed asked, confused slightly. Al wouldn't have caused anyone to die on purpose, and certainly not his own father. Why would he feel guilty?

"Yes. It was."

"Then it's not your fault."

"I still feel like it is."

"I know." Ed said, taking a hold of Al in a hug again. Silently, he was slightly angry with his father. How many times had he insisted this was his burden to carry? How many times had he promised Al that he would get his body back? Hohenheim had stolen that from him, but, considering the outcome, Ed would say it was worth it.

The two brothers finally stopped hugging.

"Nii-san, let's go see Aiden and Gabriel. I want to show them what I look like." Al said, and the two started off.

----------------------------------------------------

Yay, Al!

Just so you know, I pre-write these, and thus am chapters ahead of you. However, I guess I am slowing down, and so you are all catching up. This is just a warning that there _may_ be a day when I won't be able to post due to not having a chapter. I'll try to prevent that as best as possible, however.


	22. Chapter 22

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

Sorry this is late!  
I forgot to put it up this morning.

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"Aiden and Gabriel? You have your memories, then?" Edward asked.

"Of course. Why would I not?" Alphonse asked, confused.

"Well, memories really are a thing merely carved into the brain, and so...I was worried that maybe you wouldn't have any memories from when you were in that suit of armor." Ed replied.

"Oh. Well, I do. My body is my aged as well as my memories too. I had a fear that my body would be the age it was before the suit of armor. Hohenheim did a good job, didn't he?" Al asked, trying not to break down again.

"Yes, he did." Ed replied, sensing that Al needed the comfort.

---

"Ed!" Gabriel squealed when he saw Ed had entered his room at Hooligan's. He ran to give Ed a hug, but stopped when he saw a supposed stranger with him. "Daddy, who is this?" Gabriel was obviously scared; he sometimes called Ed by Daddy when he needed the assurance of a parent.

"You remember Al, right, Gabriel?" Ed asked.

"Yes. He's the Tin Man." Gabriel grinned. He liked Al; Al was friendly.

"This is Al...when he's not wearing his armor." Somehow, as it had been with Nina, it seemed too complicated to explain to a young child what Al was, specifically. Gabriel accepted this information without question.

"You look like Ed!" He exclaimed.

With all the excitement in the air, Ed had somehow failed to notice the lack of Aiden. That is, until the missing person cleared his throat behind Edward. Ed jumped, turned around quickly, saw Aiden, and jumped him with a hug, all within a matter of milliseconds.

"Aiden, Al got his body back!" Ed whispered in Aiden's ear, not wanting Gabriel to overhear and become confused. Ed then released Aiden.

"Is that so?" Aiden asked, rather dazed by the news. He never imagined Al to look so much like Ed. Sure, Al's bangs were much shorter and his hair slightly darker, but the overall effect was the same.

Ed nodded excitedly.

"He does look like you. Well, pretty much." Aiden said, looking over at Al, who was now hugging Gabriel.

_I had forgotten what children feel like. I had forgotten how soft they were. I'm still amazed my skin is so soft._ Al thought.

Slowly, Al stood up and turned to face Aiden. "Aiden?"

"Yes?" He seemed almost surprised that Al was addressing him.

"Can I...hug you?" Al asked awkwardly.

"Um. Yes." Aiden said. The two hugged, which further stimulated Al's thoughts of how warm people were. He was amazed by it.

When they parted, Al thanked Aiden. Both behaved shyly.

The four boys stayed together for a bit, playing with Gabriel. Finally, it was time for Edward and Alphonse to leave.

Again, Ed and Aiden's departure was awkward. However, Al helped to smooth out a few bumps just by being there. They would never have kissed if Al was there, and thus they didn't have to worry about even thinking about doing such.

Once on the street, Al saw to it to personally interrogate Ed.

"Something happened between Aiden and you, didn't it?" Al asked.

"Well...yes." Ed admitted.

"What is it?"

"I...I'm dating someone."

"Are you? Oh, do tell! I can't believe you didn't tell me on the phone!" Al got excited.

"It's...Mustang." Ed said shortly.

"I knew you didn't hate him!" Al exclaimed. "Wait. Ohhh. So that's why Aiden is upset."

"What? Explain this to me. Because I don't know why he is so upset." Ed said. Al sighed.

"Of course you don't, brother. You never stop to think psychologically. Think about it: Aiden had grown comfortable in the idea that he had no competition. He knew the Colonel was in your life, but thought that you would never get with him, since you supposedly hated him. As far as that, he didn't think you knew anyone else enough to get with them. Considering those aspects, it probably was quite a shock to him to find out that you were dating someone else."

"Oh." It was all Ed could mutter out. He supposed that he had pretty much been leading Aiden on. His shoulders sagged. This love life shit was too hard. "So how's Winry?" Ed asked, trying to distract himself.

"She's good. She said to say hi."

"Have you gotten together with her yet?"

"...No. I don't think she likes me like that, brother." Al said, and the conversation stopped with that.

They walked in silence. Ed was headed for Roy's house and Al simply followed.


	23. Chapter 23

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

----------------------------------------------------

Roy was still at work, Ed found out when he got to the house. _Good_, Ed thought, _it gives me time to talk to Al._

"This is the Colonel's house, isn't it?" Al asked, looking around.

"Yes." Ed hesitated before interrupting Al's exploration. "Hey, can we sit down and catch up?"

"Yes, of course." Edward led Al to the living room and the two sat on the couch next to each other. "So, Nii-san, what do you want to talk about?"

"Well, first of all, how did Hohenheim get your body back?" Ed was eager to ask this one; it had been on his mind ever since he heard it.

"Brother, we should call him Dad. I think we own him that. Anyways, it wasn't willingly—so he had to remove my armor limbs. He then placed me in a transmutation circle, drew some transmutation circles on his arms, forehead, and chest, and stood with me. He put both hands on his chest, performed it, and when I woke up, he was gone and I had a body..." Alphonse went through the process almost mechanically; his voice was toneless.

"You have everything back, it seems. I wonder why the Truth gave everything without question." Edward wondered aloud.

"His soul is older than mine and he gave his whole body. That's probably the reason. He's worth more than I am. You have to remember, my soul was only worth an arm before. My body is only worth the elements within it." His voice was dead now, and Ed finally took note of this; he didn't ask any more questions about it. Instead, he changed the subject.

"What do you think of me being with Roy?" Ed held his breath. He needed Al's approval. If he didn't get it...well, he refused to go there.

"I'm fine with it. I'm just glad that you finally admitted that you had a crush on him." Al said. _Of course he was fine with it, _Ed thought. _He just wants whatever makes me happy. He accepted that I was gay with little question._

"Thank you." Ed replied. "Now we just need to get you and Winry together!"

"Brother...I already told you. She doesn't like me like that. Besides," Al blushed and turned away. "She confessed something to me this weekend."

"Oh really? What is that?" Ed asked. He liked Alphonse having a body—finally Ed could see his brother blush. Edward had a slightly thick skull—he couldn't always read into Al's voice.

"I don't know if I'm supposed to tell you. Either I'm allowed or I'm supposed to." Al took a deep breath and let it out in one strung together sentence, "Winryisalesbian."

"...What??" Ed asked, merely catching the last word but got the gist from that. "That's so odd that there are two gay kids in Resembool."

"Yeah, weird..." Al said awkwardly. He blushed but didn't say what was passing through his head. Instead, he switched his thoughts to Aiden. _Who would have known that Aiden was so warm? _Al stopped himself before he could explore that thought further.

Alphonse and Edward both jumped when the door slammed shut.

Roy was home.

----------------------------------------------------

Don't jump to conclusions about Al's sexuality. It's bad for your health, and will be addressed, since everyone needs a label, according to society.


	24. Chapter 24

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

You have no idea how jealous I am of the fact that alchemists can transmute their hair different colors. That will make sense after reading the fourth line in this story.

----------------------------------------------------

"Maybe we should fool him." Ed grinned. "You could rush in there and pretend to be me. Just act like I transmuted my hair darker and cut my bangs."

"No, brother, it's wrong to fool people." Alphonse replied. Roy, at this time, was hanging up his coat, and could not hear the brothers talking.

"Oh, come on."

"I don't even sound the same as you."

"Like he'd notice."

"No." At this point in time, Roy came within earshot of the brothers' voices.

"Please?" Edward persevered.

"NO." Alphonse insisted.

Roy came into the room and cleared his throat. The two boys looked at him; Ed had to turn around.

"Alphonse." Roy said and smiled graciously.

"How did you know?" Ed asked. "I didn't even know, and he's my brother. You have never even seen him in human form before this!" Edward exclaimed.

"He looks like you." Roy replied simply. He extended a hand to Al, who stood up and shook it. "Except he's taller."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT HE'D BE A SHRIMP COMPARED TO OTHER SHRIMP AND HE WOULDN'T EVEN BE WORTH CATCHING BECAUSE HE'S SUCH A SMALL SHRIMP!" Ed exploded.

"Calm down. He didn't say that." Al sighed.

"So, has Edward fed you yet?" Roy asked.

Ed blushed. "No." He replied for Al in a small voice.

"Well then, come along, Alphonse. Let's get some food in you." Roy said.

Roy cooked up some grilled cheese sandwiches for the three of them. He felt like a father as he served the two boys. Even more so when Ed began to protest while Al ate his enthusiastically.

"EW! This is cheese! It's made from that disgusting stuff we humans so kindly dub 'milk'. I am NOT eating this."

"Just eat it." Roy said shortly. "I slaved over a hot stove for you..."

"That isn't going to work." Al said.

"Fine then, there are kids in Xing who would love to have a grilled cheese to eat—."

"Then put it in a box and send it to them." Ed interrupted. Roy sighed.

"Nii-san, Roy was kind enough to feed us. Cheese doesn't even taste like milk..." Al said, and getting no response, saw that he would have to refer to much worse tactics. "Besides, there is another white liquid I'm sure you're quite fond of...Just think of that!"

Roy and Ed both stared at Alphonse. _This couldn't possibly be my brother. He sounds like him, and he has the same memories, but there is no way that my brother would say something like that._ Ed thought. His mouth was actually hanging open with shock—which is when Al shoved half the grilled cheese into his brother's mouth.

Seeing Edward with the sandwich hanging out of his mouth was too much for Roy—he burst out laughing. He was laughing even as the teenager he was laughing at glared at him with loathing.

Edward couldn't even chew with the sandwich in his mouth. Thus, he went to the garbage can and spit it out.

He came back, however, and ate the rest of his grilled cheese in really small bites, all while glaring at Al and Roy, who watched him with amused looks.

Yet, the evening was still young.


	25. Chapter 25

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

Al is OOC. There is a purpose behind it, though.  
Disclaimer: I also do not own Monopoly.

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"Well then, boys, what are we going to do for the rest of the evening?" Roy asked as he picked up everyone's dishes and put them in the sink.

"Do you have any board games?" Al, who felt competitive, asked.

"Yes, Monopoly Jr." Roy replied. In response to both Al and Ed staring as him in a confused manner, he said, "I babysat Elysia and Hughes somehow forgot it here."

"Okay, let's play." Edward said.

Thus, the game was set up on the floor and played as the three sat, also on the floor. Roy was the banker. It was quite clear that Al was going to be the winner about half an hour into the game, and that he was quite determined to do so.

"Pay me." Al said, as Edward landed on a square of property owned by him. Edward gave him the money. A few minutes later, Al declared that he was bored.

"We're in the middle of a game here." Roy attempted to object.

"I don't care. I'm bored."

"Al, come on. Let's just finish the game." Edward wanted there to play a bit more too.

"No, brother."

"Why not?" Edward could sense the tension in Al's body, the way he was holding back, and it told him on thing: something was obviously making Al upset.

"So you can go to jail some more? We all know what you do there." Al smirked.

"Excuse me?" Edward was trying to work this all out in his head. _Was this truly Al?_

"Oh, you heard me. You're a prison bitch."

These words were the last straw for Edward. He leapt across the game and tackled Alphonse, managing to pin him easily.

"_What_ is your _problem_ tonight?" Ed growled through clenched teeth, looking down at Al, who was struggling a bit.

"Like you would understand!" Al yelled while looking Edward in the eye.

"What does that mean??"

"You know who you are!" Al shouted and finally managed to push Ed off. He then dashed out the front door.

"Al!" Ed screeched. He ran to the door, and Roy followed. Roy caught Ed before he dashed off as well.

"Let him go. He'll be back." Roy said softly. As much as he wanted to run after his brother, Ed knew that Roy was right. He would wait.

---

_I. Am. Jealous. Why am I so jealous?_ Alphonse questioned himself as he walked down an alley about forty-five minutes later. _And what are these thoughts of Aiden? I've never like boys before. Ever. In fact, I don't even like other boys—just Aiden. Damn it! I HATE THIS!_

Al clenched his head due to the pain of the oncoming headache. He stopped and sat down against the back of a building. He took a deep breath and sighed.

_Ed knows who he is. He knows he's gay. All I know is that I'm not completely straight, but I'm not completely bisexual, either. Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe if I just ignore these feelings, they'll __**go away.**_

Al stood up slowly, sighed again, and began the walk back to Roy's house.


	26. Chapter 26

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

**Notes:** I've decided Al is not OOC, and he wasn't in the last chapter, and I am going to give credit to Alima8314 for helping me come to this conclusion.  
Think about it: Al is a confused teenager. He has a new body with new hormones. He has never had teenage hormones before, and thus this must be a huge blow for him. This is merely an alternative on how he might handle them. (Most of these arguments are Alima8314's.)

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Alphonse walked in the house to find Roy waiting for him.

"Where have you been?" Roy asked simply, not a hint of anger in his voice.

"Just out. I'm sorry for being such a jerk earlier."

"Edward missed you." Roy disregarded Al's apology, knowing that he wasn't the one Al should be apologizing to. "He tried to wait for you, but ended up falling asleep. I put him in bed."

"I'll apologize to him in the morning."

"Okay. I think you will have to sleep on the couch tonight. I'm sorry, but I don't have any extra beds." Roy said.

"That's okay." Al said, and Roy turned to leave. "Hey, Col—Roy?" Al said Roy's name awkwardly, like someone who wasn't quite sure if they got the name right.

"Yes?"

"Can I...can I talk to you?" Al asked.

"Of course." Roy sat down on the couch and Al followed his lead.

"It's just...how did you first know? About...about...not being so...heterosexual?" Al asked, blushing.

"I guess my first crush was my biggest hint. Once I got it together that what I had was, indeed, a crush."

"What if...what if a person only likes one person of the same sex, and no one else? What if said person liked only the opposite sex their whole life before? What would they be?"

"Well, they'd be bisexual. However, the way you are describing it, I'd say it sounds like they are bi-curious..." Roy trailed off.

"What is bi-curious?"

"It is...curiosity about being bisexual. People who are bi-curious are mostly heterosexual, but they show a little interest in the same sex." Roy paused, thinking of the best way to explain. "There is no such thing as black and white, and there are gray areas even in sexuality. It sounds like this person falls in the gray." Roy concluded.

"Oh." Al blushed and avoided Roy's eyes. "Well, thank you."

Roy rubbed Al's head affectionately.

"You're welcome, kid." He said, and then left to join Edward in his bed.

Al quickly fell asleep on the couch.

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That was Parental!RoyAl. Don't picture a pairing between them.

Also, I would have used the Kinsey Scale to help Roy describe sexuality, but in the world they live in, Dr. Kinsey probably has yet to live, and that might be a bit too AU. If you want to check out the Kinsey Scale, I'd suggest Wikipedia(period)org.

One more thing: once this chapter is reviewed by my frequent reviewers, I'll probably have over 200 reviews on this story. -squeal- THANK YOU!! I love you!!


	27. Chapter 27

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

Thank you: I have officially gotten over 200 reviews. _**ThankyouThankyouThankyou!!!!**_ I just did the math, and I got over 100 reviews with in 9 days/chapters. That's amazing.

Note: Entirely Parental!RoyAl.

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"Col—Roy, are we allowed to go out while you are away at work?" Al asked Roy early the next morning, while Edward was still asleep.

"I'm not your father; you can do whatever you want." Roy said. He noticed as the boy's eyes took on a look of desperation and almost depression. "What's wrong?"

"Of—of course you're not, sir. My father...my father is dead, I think," Al said quietly. "And he did it for me."

"You mean he died to give you your body?" Roy asked. Al nodded and let out a sobbing noise. Some tears leaked out of his eyes. _At least now I can cry._ He thought, though this did nothing to cheer him up. "I've been wondering how you managed to do this. Come here."

Roy pulled Al into a hug, which Al gladly gave into and hugged back. He was happy of this too—finally, he could feel a human touch when he needed one. Al let himself sob into Roy's shoulder for a good ten minutes, during which Roy rubbed his back and told him it would be okay.

Finally, Al pulled away. He sniffled. "Thank you." _This is the second time I owe him gratitude within twelve hours._ Al thought, too upset to do the actual math.

Al waited a bit before returning to his original subject. "Well, Brother and I will probably go and spend time with some friends of ours, if that's okay."

"Aiden? Yes, that's okay." Roy said, trying to keep any hint of jealously out of his voice. Al didn't bother to notice the tone. Instead, he was thinking: _Did brother not mention Gabriel to Roy? Hmm. That's interesting._ "Well, I have to leave for work. Eat anything you want and I'll see you tonight."

Roy walked out the door, and Alphonse went to see if there was any cereal.

---

Edward walked in rubbing his eyes as Al was munching down some Chex with lots of sugar.

"Brother, what kind of person has only Chex for cereal??" Al asked Ed, trying to clear the air of awkwardness before it came up. Ed yawned.

"One who is boring... when it comes to cereal." Ed said, making sure to add the last half. After all, Roy wasn't boring at everything.

"I'll say." Al paused. He knew he had to apologize. "Hey, I'm sorry about last night. I just...had some issues to deal with."

"Yeah, you did. Are you done with that now?"

"Yes." Al said quietly.

"So, what was the issue?" Edward asked, generally curious.

"Never mind." Al said quickly. He couldn't tell his brother yet—not until he was quite certain that he was bi-curious. The talk with Roy helped some, but he still wasn't sure. Instead, he stepped back into the previous subject. "Do you realize I had to pour more sugar than cereal in here to make it taste good? I forgot how good sugar was!" Alphonse seemed to get overexcited about sugar, but that was to be expected after not having a body for several years. Edward took the hint and let last night slip into silence. Alphonse would most likely tell him later.

"Yeah." Ed yawned again. "You loved sugar..."

"Love. Present tense, brother. I love sugar." Al then continued to dig into his cereal with sugar (or rather, sugar with cereal).

Ed stuck some toast into the toaster and checked to make sure there was butter—there was.

Al finished his cereal and rinsed the bowl off in the sink. He then turned to Edward.

"How does hanging out with Aiden and Gabriel today sound?" Al asked.

"Sounds like fun." Edward replied. _I hope_, he added silently.


	28. Chapter 28

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

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Edward and Alphonse were hit with heat when they stepped outside.

"Holy...it's hot." Al said, stopping himself before he swore.

"Agreed." Edward said.

The two started the walk to Hooligan's. It was Al who struck the conversation.

"Brother, you got to ask me a bunch of questions yesterday. I think I should get to ask you one." He said.

"Shoot." Edward said shortly. It was too hot to talk, but he would make the effort for his brother. He owned him that—he owned Al everything, after having his promise broken by not getting Al's body back.

"Why didn't you tell Roy about Gabriel?" Ed flushed.

"I...I just don't know how to explain Gabriel to him. Gabriel's a friend, but he's six...I'm not sure that Roy would understand."

"Roy is dating a teenager thirteen years younger than him. I'm pretty sure that he can understand befriending someone younger than him." Even Al knew that sounded pretty cruel. _The heat must be getting to me. _He thought. "The point is, brother, that you should tell Roy about Gabriel."

The two were at Hooligan's and so they ended the conversation, which didn't give Ed a chance to respond. They found Gabriel right away in what could be considered the living room or common room of Hooligan's.

"Ed! Al!" Gabriel squealed when he saw the pair, so fast and excitedly that it sounded like he said "Edal". He ran to hug them, and they got on their knees to be equal to him; Edward came first and then Alphonse. Edward told the two that he was going to find Aiden, so Al and Gabriel played for a bit with Gabriel's new toy boat.

Ed walked into Aiden's room to find him asleep.

"Aiden?" Edward whispered quietly, after shutting the door.

As he always did, Aiden woke up in a fashion that suggested he was about to have a heart attack from shock. The reaction to being woken up was probably from some of the childhood trauma that he refused to talk about with Ed. He looked over, and could see from the sun's light that it was Ed.

"Oh, hey." He said, sleepily. "What's up?"

"Well, Al and I were thinking we could hang out with you and Gabriel. Since you're sleeping though, I'm not sure if you want to join...?" Ed let his sentence trail off to make a question.

"Yes, I'll come. What are we going to be doing?" Aiden asked as he stood up.

"I have no idea." Ed opened the door and the two stepped out into the hall and made their way to where Al and Gabriel were.

"Brother! Let's go swimming!" Al suggested excitedly when he saw the two.

"Good idea! It's hot out!" Ed replied, but was telling Aiden and Gabriel that it was hot out, not Al.

"Deal." Aiden said, still sleepy.

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And thus begins the start of adventures of Aiden, Alphonse, Edward, and Gabriel.


	29. Chapter 29

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

This is the beginning of some short, one-day adventures with Aiden, Alphonse, Edward, and Gabriel. I believe I said they'd be drabbles, but they probably won't be—they'll be too long to be considered such. Of course, there will be the occasional interrupting chapter for some RoyEd.  
Today's adventure: Swimming! Yes, Ed has automail, and yes, he can swim. Well, I guess I never mention him actually swimming in here. You'll see. The point is...he can go in the water.  
This is really, really long—almost four pages without these notes. Enjoy!

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The four boys headed out to a lake just outside of town. Since no one came to what they had proclaimed their spot, they all were able to strip down to their underwear and swim. This was good considering that none of them had swimsuits.

None of them got in right away.

"I bet it will be cold." Aiden said to no one in particular.

"With this heat and this sun? I doubt it." Al said, grinning over at him. Al was in a competitive mood, which was contagious enough to put Aiden in one as well.

"I dare you to go in, then." Aiden challenged.

"I dare you to go in." Al challenged back.

"I dared you first."

"I dared you second." Al would not let Aiden win, even in play. Edward sighed.

"Gabriel, these two are chicken. Let's go in."

"Yeah!" Gabriel stuck out his tongue at the Aiden and Al.

"Gabriel, don't be rude." Aiden corrected his behavior.

"Sorry, Dad." Gabriel said instinctively. Gabriel rushed to follow Edward, who was already deep enough in the water that it touched his upper thighs—which was waist high on Gabriel. Despite the sun, the water _was_ cold. Gabriel decided he had to be a tough trooper for Edward.

"Hey, Gabriel, let's not go any further." Edward said, concerned about Gabriel's safety. Gabriel nodded, since he had no desire to go further anyway—he was cold enough.

"Daddy, won't your automail get ruined?" He asked curiously.

"Of course not. I have the best automail mechanic in Amestris." Edward replied to the young boy. "Now, do you remember how to float?"

Gabriel shook his head at Ed's question. He didn't remember how to stay afloat—Ed had taught him that for the first time several weeks ago, and he was only six. He saw no reason to remember it at the time.

As Ed re-taught Gabriel the back float, Al and Aiden were still not in the water.

"So?" Aiden raised an eyebrow at Al, causing him to blush.

"So what?" Al said, his voice slightly timid.

"So why aren't you in yet?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"And it would get us nowhere." Aiden pointed out.

"It's cold." Al decided to state the obvious.

"Agreed... Oh, goddamn, let's just go in." Aiden decided to be brave and stepped in. He walked in to nearly the depth of his knees and stopped. "You coming?"

"Yeah." Al rushed to get in, and managed to trip because of it. "Darn it!" He yelled. Ed looked up to see that Al had fallen.

"You okay?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, fine." Al replied. Aiden started laughing.

"Is it cold?" He teased.

"You're about to find out." Al didn't give Aiden time to react. He stood halfway up and tackled Aiden. The two wrestled for a bit, each trying to dunk the other. Edward glanced over at them several times until he gave up and decided to focus on teaching Gabriel some swimming techniques. It was pointless to worry since Aiden and Al wouldn't hurt each other. In the end, the two managed to reach a position of Al straddling Aiden. Aiden propped himself up on his elbows. Al blushed heavily at their arrangement, but he wasn't about to let Aiden up.

"Are you going to let me get up?" Aiden asked, again raising his eyebrow. Al shook his head.

"If I let you up, you'll dunk me under again." _And I like your body heat in contrast to this cold water. _He thought silently. Aiden smirked.

"I could throw you off anyways." Aiden said, still smirking.

"I'd like to see you try." Al took a hold of Aiden's wrists and pinned them to the sandy surface under the water. What Al did not factor in was Aiden's position. Aiden was easily able to push Al up and off of himself.

Al landed full on in the cold water. While on top of Aiden, he had only half of his body in the water, and the top half had somewhat dried. Thus, being re-submerged in cold water was a shock for Al's body. He lost his breath.

Gasping for air, Al sat up, and glared at Aiden, whose eyes widened when he realized what had happened.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry!" Aiden burst out, and clapped a hand over his mouth in his shock. He took a quick glance over at Ed, who was distracted with helping Gabriel. "You need to warm up." Aiden put his arm around Al's shoulder and pulled him in close. Alphonse's breath caught in his throat. _He is just a friend. He is just a friend. Nothing more._ Al repeated several times through his head. Aiden, on the other hand, was apparently not even fazed by any of this—after all, as far as he knew, Al was straight. He was picking up some slight hints but decided to ignore his instincts.

"Hey!" Edward yelled, and Al jerked away from Aiden as if he'd been shocked or burned. The pair looked over at Ed, who was having a splash fight with Gabriel. Apparently that was what Edward had yelled about. Still, Al thought it better not to try to get more heat. Besides, he was warm enough; his face was burning.

"Let's go join them." Al grinned at Aiden, who smiled back. Together, they ambushed Edward and Gabriel.

Thus began The Great Splash War... which lasted almost an hour, surprisingly. Gabriel was the first to stop. It took merely a moment before Aiden and Ed noticed it and stopped as well, which caused Alphonse to stop.

"Hun, what's wrong?" Aiden asked the six-year-old.

"I-I'm cold." Gabriel replied with his teeth chattering.

"Oh, darling. Come here." Edward said. Gabriel went over to Ed, who scooped the boy up in his arms. _I remember when Roy did this to me..._ Edward thought. Just like Ed had done, Gabriel snuggled in closer, though Gabriel was doing it for warmth, while Edward had done it for more complicated reasons.

The four headed up to the shore and got dressed. Once they were clothed, Edward once again took Gabriel into his arms. The four boys then started to head to Hooligan's. On the way, Gabriel fell asleep in Ed's arms.

"He looks like an angel, doesn't he?" Aiden said, looking down at Gabriel.

"He sure does." Al agreed.

"Of course he does." Edward said confidently. "He's our little boy." He glanced up quickly at Aiden to see if his choice of words upset him, but was glad to see that Aiden didn't notice.

Finally, they arrived at their designation. Edward took Gabriel to the bedroom and gently set Gabriel on the bed. Unfortunately, Gabriel awakened due to the shift.

"Daddy?" He questioned, sleepy and confused.

"Shh. It's okay, dear. Go back to sleep." Edward stroked Gabriel's hair until the boy was asleep again.

Once he was, Edward quietly sneaked out the door to find Aiden and Al waiting, obviously.

"You realize that, because of his nap, he will not sleep tonight?" Aiden said, crossing his arms.

"Of course." Ed grinned evilly. "But that's when you have to take care of him."

"Pfft. Jerk." Aiden said, jokingly, lightly punching Ed's flesh shoulder.

"Yeah, well, it happens. I guess we should get going though." Edward said.

"We should do something like this tomorrow." Al said at seemingly random, though he was actually reflecting on the day.

"I'm willing if you two are." Aiden replied. Edward nodded his agreement.

"Okay. See you tomorrow then." Alphonse said, giving Aiden a brief hug. Edward and Aiden exchanged just as brief of a hug.

"Give Gabriel a hug for me." Edward told Aiden.

"And me!" Al added.

"Okay." Aiden said.

With that, Edward and Alphonse left to Roy's house. Edward was slightly apprehensive—he eventually had to tell Roy about Gabriel, and he planned to do it tonight.

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-blush- -giggle-  
I think I have to add this: I actually acted some of this out. Using 15-pound dumbbells, I checked how easy it was to push up from being pinned like Al did Aiden. I also checked water levels to make sure that Aiden wouldn't be drowning in the water. Haha.

I'm not sure how satisfied I am with how this chapter is written. I feel like it needs more editing or something. Oh well.


	30. Chapter 30

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

First off, I'm sorry for not putting this up this morning. I somehow forgot.  
Well, this is one of those interrupting chapters to the adventures.  
Slight lime, I guess. I'm not even sure if you could consider it such, but I thought I'd be overly cautious.  
If I do a lemon, I will tell you, but it will be a separate story since I don't want the rating to go up. Deal?

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"Hey, Roy, we need to talk." Edward said to Roy after a delicious chicken dinner. The two were sitting on the couch reading, with Alphonse in the other room doing the same thing. After Edward had told his brother that he was planning to talk to Roy after dinner, Al had made sure that he wouldn't be "in the way".

Roy was able to sense the seriousness in Edward's voice and closed his book rather than mark the place with his finger. After setting the book down, he turn to Ed.

"Go on." Roy encouraged Ed, who looked pale and nervous.

"Well, there's this boy, see?"

Roy literally stopped breathing. His heart froze and he felt on the verge of panicking. _No. No, Ed couldn't be leaving him...he couldn't be..._

"He's six."

Instantly, Roy took a huge breath. Unless Edward was a child molester, he was not getting broken up with.

"It's just... He's basically a son to me. I didn't tell you about him because I didn't know how to do it."

"A son?" Roy was confused.

"Yes. He's from Hooli—where Aiden lives." Ed recalled just in time that Roy didn't know what Hooligan's was. "He is my non-legally adopted son." Edward smiled.

"Is he coming to live with us too?" Roy was confused as to the reason for being told this.

"No, of course not. I just...thought you should know about him."

"Ah, I see. Well, thank you." Roy's tone was almost dismissive, and Ed grew desperate. Roy couldn't dismiss Gabriel. It wasn't part of the plan.

"His name is Gabriel."

"That's a cute name." Roy said.

"Aiden is his other father..."

"What??" This got a strong reaction out of Roy.

"Well, I mean...at the time... We were somewhat together, so we seemed like two father figures together..."

"How did he tell you apart when he called for his father?" Roy asked. "Does he call one of you Mommy?"

"No, silly. I'm Daddy and Aiden is just Dad." Ed smiled. He knew Roy was joking.

"I see. Well, that's nice. If he ever needs a home, I hope you know that I'll take him in. I would like to meet him, if you don't mind."

"Thank you." Edward felt an extreme gratefulness towards Roy. "You will get to meet him, I promise." _Hopefully he doesn't mind too much that Gabriel is Ishbalan..._ Edward thought. He had purposely avoided bringing up that fact.

Due to Ed being lost in thoughts, there was a pause and Roy returned to his reading.

"You'd probably be the mom, you know." Roy said, not looking up.

"What??"

"Well, you're probably the tinier of you two..."

"WATCH WHO YOU'RE CALLING TINY ENOUGH TO BE A WOMAN!!" Ed yelled angrily. "You want me to _**remind**_ you that I'm a man??"

"With Alphonse in the house? Ooh, naughty, naughty, Fullmetal." Roy smirked.

"What did you just call me?"

"...Edward?"

"No. You called me Fullmetal. That's it. You need to be taught a lesson."

"What about Alphonse?"

At that exact moment, Al shouted from the door, "Hey, I'm going to spend time with Aiden. He probably needs help taking care of a hyper Gabriel." It was obvious that he had over heard the two talking. The two males (because Ed was indeed a male) in the living room heard the door open and close.

Ed turned to Roy with a very naughty and horny smirk on his face. He climbed into Roy's lap, straddling him.

"You are still doing what a girl would do." Roy pointed out.

"Shut the fuck up." Edward said. He began to kiss Roy roughly. In the process of kissing Ed back, Roy lost the page in his book, not that he cared much.

Edward pulled away suddenly. He stood up and took off his pants, almost timidly, yet at the same time, boldly. Boldly due to the fact that he was initiating the sexual part of all this, and still timidly because he blushed when he did so. Luckily, his shoes were already off since he had been relaxing, so that made the whole process easier. After his pants were off, Ed straddled Roy again. He pressed his crotch against Roy's own. Roy inhaled sharply.

"Oh gosh, I'm such a girl. A naughty girl who happens to have a penis." Ed bit part of his lip, smirking and blushing.

"Fine." Roy sighed. "I suppose you're not a girl."

"Oh, I'm not done proving it yet." Edward said. Roy's eyes widened.

"What are you going to do?" He asked.

"I get to top."

"Shit." was all Roy could reply with before Edward pulled him closer by his lapel and began roughly kissing him again.

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There. That leaves it open incase I decide to do a lemon. OR, to the ones who write and post stories, you could write one based off of this too. –hint hint- If you do, I'd like credit for starting it, okay? You should also tell me about it, and I could add it to author's notes telling everyone to go read it. )  
**Next chapter:** Al's night with Aiden.  
**By the way:** I lied. I thought that the swimming chapter was going to be the start of adventures, but I guess not. Hopefully after Al's night with Aiden the adventures will continue.


	31. Chapter 31

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

Chapter 30! (it is, the author's notes of chapter 4 just screws it up. Maybe I'll delete those...but then again, it answers people's questions.)  
Wow. Thank to every reviewer, reader, favoriter, and person who chose to be alerted. You have no idea how happy you make me.

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"Gabriel, please stop jumping on the bed!" Alphonse heard Aiden request loudly as Al entered Hooligan's.

"But Dad, I'm bored!" Gabriel exclaimed. As far as Al heard, there was no response.

Quietly, Al walked to the bedroom that Aiden and Gabriel shared and knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in!" Aiden said loud enough for the visitor to hear. Al opened the door.

"Hey." He said shyly.

"AL!" Gabriel yelled. "Play with me! Please! Dad won't." Aiden gave Al a sheepish smile as if to say I-guess-I'm-horrible-at-this-parenting-stuff.

"Alright, Gabriel, what do you want to play?" Al said sweetly.

"I want to jump on the bed."

"I don't think Aiden likes that very much, though. Let's find something quiet to do." Al paused for a moment to think. "Hey, here's an idea. Falesyia has a lot of dress-up clothes. How about we play dress-up?"

"Okay!" Gabriel leapt up from where he was sitting on the bed and took Al's hand. Al proceeded to lead the boy to Falesyia's bedroom. He knocked twice.

"One second." Falesyia's voice rang out. "Coming." He opened the door wearing a tight light pink tee shirt and flaming pink biker shorts.

"Hey Falesyia." Al said, giving a small wave. "It's Al, remember?"

"Al! Darling!" Falesyia replied without missing a beat. He then gave Al two cheek kisses (one for each side). Unaccustomed to doing such a thing, Al merely stood there, feeling awkward. "Now then, what might I do for you two this evening?"

"I want to play dress-up!" Gabriel burst. Al blushed at the boy's inability to be subtle.

"Well, uh, I was thinking... You have such nice clothes..." Al took in a deep breath. "Would you mind if Gabriel were to play dress-up?"

"Of course not, sweetie! Would you mind terribly if I joined? I love dressing up!"

"Yay! Falesyia's going to play too!" Gabriel shouted.

---

A little while later, Al was regretting ever suggesting this. Aiden had decided to join the bunch, and the sight of Aiden stripping was apparently too much for Alphonse's new body. He had failed to look when the four boys went swimming (mostly to avoid his brother catching him like he might have been bound to). This time, however, he got a real good look as Aiden slowly stripped off his pants and began to strip off his shirt even slower... Al was smart enough to realize what was happening, and he quickly excused himself to the restroom before anyone took notice.

Once in the bathroom, Al began to question the functions of his body. _What the hell is wrong with you?? This didn't happen while swimming today! Argh! Why would I want a body if I knew this was going to happen?_

Al immediately took back that last sentence. Sure, having a body had its disadvantages (such as getting visibly aroused as it was now), but it was so much better than being in that suit of armor.

_How am I going to go back out there? How long is this going to take to go away? What if Aiden knows what is going on? What if he knows how easy it is to arouse me? Oh god. No. No. NO._ Al, though not used to being in a new body, knew that he had started hyperventilating. A feeling of panic over took him and seemed to strengthen due to the hyperventilating. Al didn't know it, but he was having a panic attack. Slowly, he sank against the wall and then down it. He was now in a position with his back on the wall and his knees drawn to his chest.

He heard the loud banging and the yelling of his name. He heard it, but he didn't acknowledge it. Nor did he acknowledge it when a pair of legs was in front of him and a voice that could have been understood had his breathing and heartbeat not been so loud. He had to focus on breathing, lest he die, he thought instinctively.

"Panic attack." That was what he heard the person in front of him tell another person by the door, who left after hearing that.

Suddenly Al felt arms around him. He moved in closer to the hugger, who was on the ground beside him, and some of the dread he felt left him.

"Oh, Al. Hun, it's okay." The hugger said, which identified him as Aiden. Al didn't care. He didn't care if Aiden thought he was ridiculous. He needed to be held right now. He still wasn't sure what was happening—just that he was scared.

Carefully and slowly, Al crawled into Aiden's lap. He put both legs to one side to avoid the awkwardness of straddling Aiden. He buried himself in Aiden's chest and before he knew it, he was crying.

"Shh. Shh." Aiden keep repeating. When he saw that Al had somewhat calmed down, he decided to ask, "What could be so bad?"

Al began to sob harder again, since Aiden had unknowingly repeated something his mother had said. **(A/N: I can't promise "What could be so bad?" is exactly what Al's mother said, but I think it is. I am going by the anime, by the way.)**

Aiden decided to take a different approach. He lifted Al's head up, and began to wipe away the tears that were leaking out of his eyes. After a while, Al began to calm down again.

"Al, please. Tell me what's wrong." He said. Al hiccupped.

"I—I'm not sure I can. It's just that this body is so difficult to deal with. Everything's new. Sometimes I like it, but I currently hate it."

"It's probably those teenage hormones, am I right?" Rather than respond, Al nodded, blushing. "Just remember, hun, no matter what you happen to think during this time, it's natural, and there is nothing wrong with it."

Al nodded again, choking a sob. "I just...I almost wish I had gone through the puberty process instead of this, and had gotten my body back at an age that I could do that. It'd probably be easier to get it gradually than this huge blast of hormones. I've never felt anything, and I mean _**anything**_, like it."

"I know." Aiden drew Al in closer. "It will be okay. You will get used to it." Aiden gave Al a smile that was sweet and sympathetic.

It was a good thing Alphonse had self-control. It was a good thing that Al could restrain himself. It was a good thing that Al knew what would be against the rules of the brother's code. It was a good thing Al knew all this because, at that moment, he _almost_ kissed Aiden.


	32. Chapter 32

This is basically a little story I made about a parental complex with Ed and Roy's relationship. While they are lovers, sometimes Roy does certain things that make Edward feel like a kid and as if Roy is his guardian. Most of these are subtle, and you may notice them (such as Roy cleaning Ed's cheek in Chapter 1); others may be forced down your throat (such Ed yelling "You're not my dad!" in Chapter 11).

I forgot to add: this story also has over 10,000 hits. It is the first one to hit 10,000. :-)

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Sometimes, Aiden just needed to vent his feelings. He needed to get everything that was on his chest out.

_Dear Diary, _

Or it is stupid piece of paper that I'll later burn? I'm not sure anymore. 

_Tonight Al came over. We played dress up, lalala. End of story there. He went to the bathroom, and I thought that was just fine, until he took too long.  
When I found him, he was having a panic attack. My instinct almost told me to turn away—like I had done with Mother. I knew soon he would start crying soon, just by the fear he seemed to be feeling. When Falesyia came to the door, I asked him to take care of Gabriel and put him to bed because Al was having a panic attack and I needed to take care of him.  
That's when it struck me.  
I couldn't just leave him.  
Instead, I squatted down and hugged him. He responded immediately by clinging on to me. Unlike with Mother, I did not have a sensation to pull away in disgust. In what was probably a need to be closer, he crawled into my lap. That was when he started crying. Poor kid. I hope that me being there helped him some.  
The entire scene kept reminding me of my mother, and I hated it. I wonder: if I had hugged her, would she have pulled me closer? Had she needed me and I let her down? Would she have broken down crying?  
I don't care anymore. Her weakness disgusts me. She seemed like she thought she was the only one my father was hurting. Yeah, right. He was doing a lot worse things to me, as well as beat me like he did to her.  
He's the reason I can't sleep properly. He's the reason that when I hear the slightest noise while I'm in bed, I nearly have a panic attack myself. The truth is, I hate thinking about this stuff, but it's on my mind all the time._  
_She got to die, though. I can't let myself sink that low—especially not now. I think that I need to be there for Gabriel, Edward, and possibly even Al. I hope so, at least. Suicide would be selfish.  
Edward. Should I even go there? Let's keep this short: he dumped my ass. I know we were never going out...but I thought we had something. I have my solution though: numbness. At first, I was upset, and I admit that I cried. I refuse to do that anymore. I can't let this tear me up, especially when it's not tearing him up. I'm going to numb myself, like I did when I was little.  
I had forgotten how easy it was to feel nothing. Numbness is bliss. I don't care as long as I can't feel it._

Aiden stopped writing. Yeah, that was what was on his mind. That was exactly it, especially the last three lines. He felt a tiny bit of relief at being able to get it out.

Rather than keep the page, Aiden struck a match. He lifted the paper, and proceeded to watch his words go up in flames. The only bit that remained was the corner he had been holding onto, due to the fact that he put out the flames before they reached his fingers.

_Numbness is bliss.  
I don't care as long as I can't feel it._  
The words still played in his mind.

* * *

Alphonse was walking outside in the cool night; it was funny to think that earlier today it had been heat stroke hot. He recalled his earlier goodbye with Aiden. 

_"Do you want me to walk you home?" Aiden asked. Al shook his head and smiled.  
"No, I think I'll be okay." He replied.  
"No more panic attacks?" Aiden had playfully teased. Al lightly punched him in the shoulder.  
Somehow that punch had led to a hug, and Al whispering a thank you in Aiden's ear, and Aiden shivering exactly once, though Al did not know why. The hug seemed to last too long and yet not long enough, in Al's book.  
The two decided mutually when to separate.  
"Well, bye." Al said, giving a small wave.  
"Bye." Aiden had replied simply._

Feelings he didn't want to deal with began to enter Al's brain again, and he broke into a run.

Blurs passed him until he was at Roy's house. It was either really late into the night or very early into the morning. _Would Roy and Ed be done having sex yet?_ Al had to wonder.

Taking a deep breath to brace himself, Al entered the house to darkness, except for a light coming from the living room. He walked into the living room to find a sleeping Ed on the couch, a fallen book beside him.

Rather than wake his brother, Al curled up into the position he held during the panic attack—back against the couch and legs held to his chest—and quickly fell asleep next to his brother.

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Yes, Aiden's phrase of "I don't care as long as I can't feel it" is so totally stolen...from **my** other story (Despite Your Denial). I really like that phrase so I decided to shove it in here.  
Oh yeah, and Aiden is still oblivious to Al's crush. He's thickheaded.


	33. Chapter 33

By now, you probably all have the paragraph before every chapter memorized. Thus, let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul.

The above summary has changed, just so you know.

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Edward jerked awake from his sleep on the couch.

"Al?" He asked worriedly. Was his brother home yet? He looked around and found Al sleeping next to the couch, his head drooping to one side.

_I took his sleeping spot...Oops._ Edward thought. Rather than fall back asleep like he wanted to, Edward stretched and stood up, careful to avoid waking his brother.

Quietly, Ed made his way to the kitchen, where he found Roy, three-fourths asleep with coffee in front of him.

"Mohanin Edwad..." Roy said when he saw Ed through his half closed eyes.

"Umm... Good morning to you too. Drink some coffee before you try speaking again." Roy obeyed his lover and took a sip of the coffee. Though his senses were still dull due to sleepiness, he could recognize the taste of the beverage with joy. He took a few more sips, and Edward just looked at him, smirking.

"What?" Roy asked when he had re-mastered the power of coherent speech. Edward walked over to Roy, took his face in his hands, and kissed him.

"Poor Roy. Did I exhaust you that much?" Roy scowled at Ed's question.

"You didn't exhaust me. I am brain-dead in the morning without my coffee."

"Yeah, right. You were breathing like you were having an asthma attack by the time we were done. I thought I was going to have to call an ambulance and explain that I just had sex, and it left my lover breathless, which would be great if it wasn't killing him."

"I'm sure they'd just love responding to THAT." Roy said, and took a sip of his coffee.

"I can see the headlines now: 'FullMetal Kills Flame...Via Sex!'" Edward smiled broadly, as if that day would be the proudest of his life.

"Sub headline: 'Colonel Flame demoted to Corporal, a record breaking drop of rank. FullMetal thrown out of country." Roy added. They smiled at each other, both knowing they were joking. Their eyes met and the world outside of them seemed to disappear.

"I love you." Roy said.

"I love you too, bastard." Edward replied.

"Well, isn't that cute?" Roy and Edward broke eye contact and found Al standing in the doorway. His arms were crossed, but he was smiling.

"Al! When did you wake up?" Ed asked, wondering how long his brother had been there.

"Not that long ago. I only got to hear the 'I love you' bit of you two talking to each other." Alphonse said. Roy met his eyes, and Al knew exactly what Roy was thinking: Al was jealous again, and of Al's possibly bi-curiosity. Alphonse frowned at Roy, silently telling him, "No, I'm fine."

Edward looked between the two.

"What's going on? What aren't you two telling me?" Edward asked. He was smart enough to pick up that Roy and Alphonse were silently communicating, but not smart enough to figure out what it was about.

"Nothing, Brother." Al replied, a sweat drip forming on his forehead. Edward narrowed his eyes at Al, and then at Roy.

"Roy? Would you so kindly tell me what's going on?"

"Sorry, Ed. It's not my business to tell." Roy replied. "It's Alphonse's choice on if he wants to tell you or not. However"—Roy paused to look at the clock—"It is time for me to started getting ready. I'll be in shower if you need me."

Roy stood up and walked out of the room, his empty cup abandoned.

Edward watched him leave before turning back to Alphonse.

"So?" He asked.

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Cliffhanger! I am mean...


	34. Chapter 34

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

**I have over 300 reviews!! **_**Thank you!!!!**_

**Note:** I repeated the last line of the previous chapter just to make sure that everyone knows where it's starting. I changed "He" to "Ed" so as to avoid confusion.  
**This chapter:** Brotherly love :-)

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"So?" Ed asked.

Al remained silent and oddly stubborn. He was withdrawing from Edward, reluctant to say what was on his mind.

"Al?" Edward raised his eyebrows, still waiting. He noticed his brother avoiding eye contact and he knew what he had to do. There is a trick to Alphonse—if you make eye contact with him, he can't avoid lying. This was true when he was a little boy, and Ed and Al's mother used to have to use it on rare occasions. It seemed that while in the suit of armor, Al could lie to one's face, but maybe his eyes didn't really count as eyes, so no one could make eye contact with him. Now, the trick probably worked again. "Al, look me in the eyes."

"No." Al replied, stubborn. Edward sighed. He stepped up to Al, and took his brother's face in his hands. Gently, he guided the face to meet his own. Alphonse's eyes locked with his brother's golden ones.

"What is wrong?" Edward asked gently.

"B-Brother..." Al said, if only to avoid saying the answer.

"Al... Please." Edward withdrew his hand, but their eyes remained locked.

"I-I th-think I'm...bi...bi-curious...that's all." Al replied, stumbling over words. It was Ed's turn to physically withdraw.

"Y-you thought you couldn't tell me this?" Edward asked hoarsely. _Did Al really not trust him that much? Ed was __**gay. **__How could Al not think that Ed could accept him as being bi-curious?_

"No!" Alphonse yelped. "No—It's just...It's nothing, Brother." He took Ed into a hug, which Edward was hesitant to return but did anyway. "It's absolutely nothing." Al muttered while embracing his brother. _I'm a coward,_ Al thought. He couldn't tell Ed about his crush on Aiden. It was just out of the question. Aiden was his brother's ex-boyfriend; Al shouldn't even have this ridiculous crush. The two pulled away from the hug unsure where they stood: were they okay or were they in a small fight?

Suddenly, Roy walked into the kitchen in just a towel. Neither teenager had noticed the water from the shower turn off. As soon as Al realized that Roy was in only a towel, he looked away, turning red. It was awkward to see his brother's commanding officer like that. Even if his brother and said commanding officer were dating, Al had yet to fully grasp this, he supposed. Roy switched on the coffee pot, because quite obviously he need more coffee, and then walked back out of the room.

Edward decided it was up to him to break the awkwardness. He was the older brother, after all.

"So, bi-curious, eh? Steal my Roy and you'll never be curious again." Al was shocked at his brother's threat, but looked over to see Edward smiling, an evident clue that he was joking.

"Deal. I don't want old men anyway." Al replied. Just as quickly as the awkwardness had come, it vanished. Alphonse was extremely grateful for this, and knew that the brotherly bond Edward and he shared was something special.


	35. Chapter 35

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

**Note:** This is AU, so we'll just pretend that the bands formed about 100 years faster in the alchemy world. Haha. This is slightly songfic-y, but...not really. It just has song lyrics.  
Also, this is sort of another adventure. I'm not going to bother trying to make a series out of them, because I seem to always find something to interrupt. Thus, the adventures will just happen when they happen.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the bands/singers, songs, or lyrics mentioned.  
**Credit:** _Last Chaper:_ Some credit to GreedxEd for the "Looking Al In The Eyes Makes Him Honest Idea" because I was replying to her when the idea popped in my head. It was completely unrelated to what we were talking about, too. _This Chapter: _See the end. I don't want to give anything away.

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"Alright, children, are you okay now?" Roy asked, yawning since he was already crashing off his first cup of coffee.

"Yes, Daddy." Edward joked, playing off on that Roy had called them children.

"Ick. Don't call me that, Edward." Roy said. "I'm off to work now."

Roy picked up his jacket and walked towards the door.

"Okay, bye Daddy! Have fun at the office!" Al yelled after Roy, adding on the Ed's joke. Al heard Roy give a loud sigh and then the door shutting.

Al turned to Edward. "Let's hang out with Gabriel and Aiden again." He was careful to put Gabriel first to make it seems as if Gabriel was the real boy Al wanted to hang out with.

"Okay." Ed replied.

---

"Okay, okay. I got one." Al paused a moment. Then he begun to sing: "_I just wanna break you down so badly. Well I trip over everything you say. Well I just wanna break you down so badly. In the worst way_." He did this as he attempted to walk a straight line down the street.

"Oh come on, Al. That's easy and that song was popular. MakeDamnSure by Taking Back Sunday." Edward replied. The two had picked up Aiden and Gabriel, but all the boys lacked ideas of what to do, and so they decided to play a game they used to play. They sung a few lines from a song and another person had to try to name it.

"Here's one for you." Edward paused to clear his throat before singing. "_We were foolish then, but our trials served to make us strong._" (1)

Aiden smiled ever so gently before quietly replying, "Nothing I Won't Give by Vic Mignogna. You always said that song reminded you of Alphonse." He stopped for a small moment of silence before continuing, "Come on, though, that song is too sad. We need more...peppy songs."

"_Tell me that you're alrigh'. Yeah everything is alrigh'. Ohhhh please tell me that you're alrigh'. Yeah everything is alrigh'_." Gabriel sang out in his six-year-old way—everything was off key slightly and slightly under-pronounced (such as the "alright's" missing their t's).

Edward ruffled the boy's hair. "Hmm. That's a hard one." Edward paused for a bit to humor Gabriel. "Is it...Everything Is Alright...?" Edward asked unsurely.

"Yeah! By Motion City Soundtrack!" Gabriel yelled out excitedly. None of them noticed where they were until a certain store manager yelled out at him.

"You again?? Keep that Ishbalan brat out of my store!" It was the toy store manager that had gotten anger at Gabriel for taking a toy out of his store—not that Gabriel knew what he was doing.

"What the _fuck_ does his Ishbalan descent have _anything_ to do with what he did?" Surprisingly, it wasn't Edward who burst with anger. It was Aiden. Unlike last time, Aiden wasn't in too dreadful of a mood to get angry; he wasn't crying over Edward. This time, he was pissed. "Who the hell do you think you are? You're a greasy storeowner, fucking..._CONGRATULATIONS_! You own a goddamn TOY STORE, yet you can't understand children at all! Gabriel is SIX YEARS OLD! He didn't know that what he did was wrong! Are you fucking **stupid** that you didn't know that? Here's an idea: sell your goddamn store, crawl under a rock, and **die**!" Aiden finished with his rant, panting. He was furious.

"Listen, kid—."

"Don't call me kid!"

"Just _listen_, will you?? I understand kids _just fine_. Ishbalans don't count. There is _something_ wrong with them. They are vermin and feel the need to flaunt it. He shouldn't be allowed to walk the streets, much less be allowed into businesses." The storeowner said venomously. It was all Aiden could take. He lunged towards the storeowner, but Al caught him before he could do anything.

Edward stepped up.

"What did I tell you about telling parents that their kids are brats? Don't fucking do it." Edward said.

"Yeah? Why would I care what you have to say?"

"I'm the FullMetal Alchemist!" Edward yelled. He hated to drag work into an unrelated situation, but sometimes it helped.

"That doesn't change the fact that you hang around with Ishbalan _trash_." The storeowner moved his mouth in odd directions as if collecting spit, but everyone was still surprised when he actually _spit_ at Gabriel, who was standing there shocked.

Edward didn't care that the spit had just landed in front of Gabriel and not on him, nor did he care that the storeowner knew his military title. He didn't even consider this as ran up to the storeowner, grabbed the man by his shirt, drew back his automail arm, and broke the man's nose. All this happened in what seemed like nanoseconds.

Blood was already rushing out of the man's nose as Edward let go of him and the storeowner fell to the ground. Alphonse let go of Aiden in the shock of it all.

Aiden was still fuming mad. He rushed forward and kicked the man in the ribs, probably breaking a few.

That was when a woman screamed.

"What are you hooligans doing to this poor man?" She gasped loudly as she rushed over to the five people. Aiden gave a short, bitter laugh, and Edward had his face hidden by his hair.

It was Alphonse who answered her, "Nothing he didn't deserve!" The woman glared up at him, which caused Al to back off.

"Come on; let's go." Edward said, face still hidden. He begun to walk back the way they had come. Everyone followed. Once he was sure he had reached a safe distance, Gabriel begun to cry silently, except for sniffling. He didn't understand why certain people hated him. He cried in both confusion and fear.

It was Alphonse who began to comfort Gabriel. He took Gabriel's hand to let him know he was there.

"Hey, Gabriel, it's okay." Al said quietly to the boy. Gabriel didn't answer, but Al didn't expect him to. Instead he began to sing Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol softly to the boy, starting in the middle of the song to fit the situation, "_Forget what we're told. Before we get too old. Show me a garden that's bursting into life. Let's waste time...Chasing cars...Around our heads..._"

Gabriel picked up the song from there. "_I need your grace...To remind me...To find my own._" Al could tell by the way he sang it that, either consciously or subconsciously, Gabriel was trying to convey a message as well: _I need you just as much as I need Edward and Aiden._

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**Credit:** Alima8314 inspired the bit about the storeowner. By "inspire", I mean that she suggested it and I used the idea. Originally, I was just going to have the boys singing for their little adventure, and had no idea where I was going to go from there. Then I remembered Alima's suggestion about the storeowner.

(1) Hmm. Edward singing Vic Mignogna... I wonder where that idea could have possibly come from...? Haha. It's not like Vic is the voice of Ed or anything. (Sarcastic...He is.)


	36. Chapter 36

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.**  
**Well, it's the 35th chapter, so maybe I should renew my disclaimer. I do not own FullMetal Alchemist, Edward, Roy, Alphonse, or anyone else mentioned. I do, however, own Aiden, Gabriel, and the rarely mentioned Falesyia.

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Later that night, Edward failed to tell Roy about the incident that occurred earlier that day. He started to several times, but every time, his courage failed him. He knew Roy would be upset at Ed for losing his temper like that. Instead, Roy had to find out at work the next day.

---

"Repeat that." Roy said, his face in his hands. He was sitting at his test with Riza Hawkeye in front of him, a newspaper in her hands.

"Yes, sir." Riza Hawkeye lifted the paper again to read it. "The headline states: 'FullMetal Attacks Innocent Storeowner.' The article content says that Irv Wellham was brutally attacked by two boys yesterday, one of whom identified himself as the FullMetal Alchemist. The cause of the attack was unknown by the one witness. Would you like to see the picture?"

"Yes." Riza handed the paper to Roy, who winced upon seeing it. "What are the damages?" He asked.

"Sir, if you just read the article…" Riza suggested.

"I have enough _paperwork_ to read. Now: what are the damages?" Roy repeated.

"A broken nose and two broken ribs." Riza stated from memory.

"Thank you. Dismissed, Lieutenant." Riza saluted and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Roy let out a huge, frustrated sigh before picking up the phone and dialing his house.

"Hello, Al? Get me Edward, please."

---

An hour later, Edward was in Roy Mustang's office. He knew what he was there for, and he was nervous due to it. However, he also felt he had every right to attack the storeowner.

"FullMetal, I need to know why you assaulted a civilian." Roy stated, rather coldly considering their relationship. Of course, he needed to keep the relationship a secret; he couldn't favor Edward.

"How badly is he hurt?" Edward asked, rather than answer Roy.

"He has a broken nose and two broken ribs. Would you like to see?" Edward nodded, and Roy passed him the paper.

"Damn it. That's nothing." Edward muttered while looking down on the paper, but Roy heard him.

"Oh, it is far from nothing, FullMetal."

"He deserves so much worse than that!" Edward yelled as he looked up and met Roy's eyes. He temporarily forgot that Roy didn't know the full story, and thus he was angry.

"Oh really?" Roy stated coolly and calmly, not believing the teenager.

"Yes!" Edward was still yelling.

"Why is that?" Roy asked. As angry as he was, Edward knew when to be ashamed. He feared that Roy wouldn't understand his reason, but he decided to state it anyway.

"He insulted Gabriel." Edward muttered.

"Gabriel? ...Oh! The young boy you were mentioning." Roy paused to take in what Edward said. "Wait. He… he _insulted_ Gabriel? So _you_ initiated the violence then?"

"Damn straight I did, and I refuse to regret it. Gabriel's _six-years-old!_ He was too young to understand what was going on. He didn't deserve to be called vermin."

"Why would Mr. Wellham do that?" Roy asked, generally curious. He didn't hear this bit of the story, obviously.

"Because Gabriel is—because Gabriel accidentally took a toy out of the store." Edward still lacked the courage to tell Roy that Gabriel was Ishbalan. He was clearly lacking a lot of courage lately, at least with Roy.

"All right, FullMetal. I _know_ that's not the true reason, but let's say it is. Gabriel committed thievery, so why was Mr. Wellham in the wrong?"

"Gabriel only took it out to show Aiden and I! He didn't mean to commit thievery!" Edward scowled at Roy. How dare the man even suggest that Gabriel was a thief?

"How was Mr. Wellham supposed to know that?"

"Goddamn it! There is no point trying to explain this to you!" Edward stomped towards the door, anger pulsing through him. Just as he opened the door, Roy spoke again.

"FullMetal?"

"_What?_" Edward snapped angrily.

"The article said there were two boys who attacked Mr. Wellham. Who was the other?"

"It was Aiden, and I'm sure he feels the same way I do—the bastard deserved it."

"Dismissed, FullMetal. You are due in court next week Monday."

"I was leaving whether you dismissed me or not!" Edward yelled and slammed the door behind him. Furious, he stomped down the hallway, nearly crashing into Maria Ross, whom was walking in the opposite direction.

"Edward?"

"_What?? _Do you want to yell at me for being unjust too?" Edward yelled at Maria, whom Ed knew didn't deserve it.

"Not at all. I heard what you happened and caught what you yelled. I just want to say that I think you were probably in the right. Good luck with court." Edward grew ashamed for yelled at Maria.

"Thank you." He muttered before turned back to leaving.

He had three days until Monday, since today was Thursday. Tonight, Roy and him would probably have a real talk about what happened. Edward didn't care. He would have Al to help him explain how Aiden and himself were correct in their ways.

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A/N: I was going to have the person that Edward yelled at be Riza Hawkeye, but I thought that Maria Ross would be perfect. Maria Ross was the woman who was put in charge of Ed and Al during their stay in Central, says Wikipedia. Just in case you don't remember.


	37. Chapter 37

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

**Happy Thanksgiving!** (Well, to all the Americans)

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"How'd it go, Brother?" Alphonse asked as Edward walked in.

"Terrible. I don't even want to be here when _he_ gets home. I refuse to be. Fuck this." Faster than normal people can decide on clothes to wear for the day, Edward had decided to leave. He had thought it over on the way home, and the fact that Al could back him up would probably not help him to seem justified in Roy's eyes. "Al, I'm going to Hooligan's. Are you coming?"

"Brother. It couldn't have been that bad, could it have?" Al looked at Ed with concern.

"Yes, it could have. He's a bastard—he didn't even try to understand my side." Edward scowled deeply.

"Did you even try to explain it or did you just blow up?" Al asked. He knew his brother well enough to know that there was no way that Ed was completely calm.

"Both." Edward replied.

"Brother, please. Just stay here. _Please._ We can work this out."

Edward's head fell forward as he tried to hide his face. "I doubt he wants me here."

That's how it came to be that Roy came home to an empty house.

---

"Where are we going to stay?" Al asked. He wasn't sure this was a good idea to leave Roy without a word, but when his brother got sad like that, he usually couldn't say no.

"Hooligan's, of course. I'm sure they have an open bedroom." Edward answered him.

"Oh."

---

Roy picked up the phone and dialed. "Investigation department, please. Hello, Hughes? We're missing a certain alchemist named Edward Elric."

"When did he go missing?"

"Just today." Roy said, already knowing what Hughes was going to say.

"This is Edward we're talking about. We'll wait until tomorrow, okay?" Roy sighed. Of course: _wait until tomorrow_. Damn.

"Okay. See you tomorrow, Hughes."

The two men hung up the phone together.

---

"We'll sleep on the floor, then." Edward replied after being told by Raphael that there were not any empty beds.

"Well, we have a few couches, if you want…" Raphael offered.

"That will do fine." Edward replied.

That night, Edward and Al attempted to help Aiden put Gabriel to bed. The outcome was that Al fell asleep on Aiden's bed and Edward finally got Gabriel to sleep by rubbing his back.

"Oh, thank God." Aiden said when he realized that the boy had fallen asleep.

"Doesn't he look just like an angel?" Edward asked, standing up.

"Yeah, anddd…so does he." Aiden pointed to the sleeping Al on his bed. Edward smiled broadly at the humor of it. "Stop smiling. This isn't funny."

"Sure it is. Now you have no place to sleep." Edward said. Aiden looked how Al was positioned—mostly on the right side (the side on the wall), and somewhat curled up on the lower half.

"Well…I could just sleep to one side. It's a twin bed, so we'd both fit. Do you think he'd mind?" Aiden asked. Ed thought a moment before answering.

"I don't think so. I should go to my couch then."

"Okay. Goodnight." The two exchanged a hug and then Edward went into another room to sleep on the couch. Aiden carefully placed a blanket over Al before lying down himself.

---

Roy was lying awake in bed, worried about Edward.

_Where could he be? Probably with Aiden. What if he's cheating on me? Oh no. He…he wouldn't, would he? What was the real reason that Mr. Wellham insulted Gabriel? And why wouldn't Ed tell him? Damn it. I need him. I need him here right now, answering these questions.  
__Not to mention that this house is so cold and lonely without him…_

Needless to say, Roy didn't sleep well that night.

---

Al woke up a few hours after he dozed off to find Aiden asleep next to him. He gave a start, but soon calmed down. Half-asleep, he allowed himself to indulge. Al shifted himself so that he was parallel to Aiden, and put his arm around the other teenager. He hoped that Aiden would just think it was on accident. In fact, he hoped he didn't fall asleep, and he could shift away before he did.

He could never have predicted what happened.

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Another cliffhanger. Enjoy. Just don't let it ruin your turkey.


	38. Chapter 38

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

A/N: Wow. I was reading old chapters, and considering the twists this story took before I had an idea where I was going, I should really edit it. Maybe once I finish I will go back and edit everything. Right now, I'm just focusing on writing more of what I have.

I had the most amazing dream about RoyEd last night. I wish I could remember it all so I could write a one-shot on it, but I can only remember little bits of it.

I should give credit to E.Mahiru for guessing what happens. That was pretty smart/telepathic of her.  
Credit to the reviewers: I now have over 350 reviews. :-) Thank you!

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_This is nice_, Alphonse couldn't help but think, as he held the sleeping Aiden with one arm around the other teen. Al wasn't able to tell that Aiden had somewhat woken up until it was too late.

Eyes still closed, Aiden turned around in Al's arms so that he was facing Al, and began kissing him. At first, Al was shocked motionless, but then he relaxed and kissed back. _Aiden's lips are so soft. I didn't expect them to be so soft... _Al thought. He decided to be daring and explore a bit of Aiden. He was merely on Aiden's hips when Aiden moaned out, "Mm, Ed."

Al stopped and pulled back.

Aiden opened his eyes finally, and immediately they widened. He pulled away entirely from Al physically.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Al, I'm so sorry! I-I thought you were Ed! Oh my god!" Aiden was in shock. "Holy _shit_! Can you forgive me?"

"Y-yeah, of course. I-I thought you were...um, _Winry_, so I guess I'm just as much at fault..." Al blushed heavily. Hopefully Aiden couldn't see through his lie. He felt something squeeze his heart just for having to tell it.

"Hey now. At least I didn't mistake you for a member of the opposite sex." Aiden said, smiling slightly. Al shyly returned the smile.

"Yeah, but who wants to be Ed?" Al joked. _Obviously you by the way you said you were thinking of Winry, _Aiden thought,_ but I'm not going to call you out if you're not ready._

Al's question was rhetorical, of course, so Aiden didn't answer. Instead, he stretched, yawned, and sat up.

"Well, I'm not going to be able to fall back asleep. How about you?" Aiden asked, looking at Al, who sat up too.

"Nope." Al said, careful to keep the seemingly random blanket over his lap. There was a reason he couldn't fall asleep—he was visibly aroused from kissing Aiden. _Thank god either Aiden or Ed had thought to put a blanket over me_, Al thought gratefully. _I think I hate hormones, though._

"We could just talk." Aiden suggested.

"I suppose we could." Alphonse agreed. "But what about?"

Aiden smirked and then replied. "So, how's your love life?"

"That's not funny." Al frowned at Aiden.

"Not even a little bit?" Aiden asked, and Al shook his head.

"Not even an atom's worth." He said.

"Ouch." Aiden switched topics suddenly. "What do you think the moon looks like at this time?"

"I'm guessing it looks like a moon..." Al replied.

"I want to go see it. You coming?"

"Sure." Al said, once he made sure that his problem in his pants had gone away. The two quietly stuck out of the room and then out of the worn down house they so kindly referred to as Hooligan's. They sat down on small, uncovered porch and looked up at the moon.

"Aiden?" Al whispered. The atmosphere made it feel as if whispering were the only appropriate form of making noise.

"Yeah?" Aiden whispered back.

"Tell me about your past. You probably heard mine from Ed, but I never got to hear yours."

"There's not much to tell. My dad was an asshole, and my mother was a stupid bitch who killed herself." Aiden whispered harshly. He hated thinking about this stuff. Damn it, he hated it so much. Already, however, scenes were playing in his mind.

"There must be more complexities than that." Al said.

"Fine. Just give me a second. It's not always easy to talk about." Aiden took a deep breath and started.

----------------------------------------------------

**Next chapter:** Aiden's dark past.  
Remember the chapter dedicated to Roy's memory? This is going to be something like that, except obviously in Aiden's point of view.

A/N: Alright, I'll admit it: Despite several emails asking me to enlargen my penis, I am not a guy. Thus, I'm not sure if Al's "problem in his pants" would go away that quickly or not. However, this is a fiction and that makes it so that Al's problem can do whatever it damn well pleases. :-)


	39. Chapter 39

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

This is what Aiden is telling Al. Thus, it is Aiden's point of view.

----------------------------------------------------

Let's see...where to begin with this... I suppose that it was up until the age of seven and a half that I was happy. Everything was perfect, especially my mother and father. I had plenty of friends, so even going to school was perfect. It was great, until my father discover the "pleasures" of drinking.

It started off as just a social thing—he had a few drinks here and there and it never hurt anything. Then he began to drink at home. At first, it was okay. He wasn't that bad when he was just buzzed. As the days and weeks dragged on, however, he began drinking more to "just get buzzed", even though my mother and I could tell he was drunk. He was... different when he got really drunk. He became aggressive, and I lost my faith that He was my father.

I had chores to do, as any kid does. Like every other kid, sometimes I forgot. He began hitting me for forgetting. I'll give Him credit for being creative—the punishment usually fit the chore. If I forgot to sweep, He spanked me with a broom handle. Unless He was really angry—then He hit me in the head with it.

My mother stood by and let Him do that to me. Of course, she got her fair share of black eyes and bruises too.

But then, He never _touched_ her the way He did me...

...This is even harder to talk about.

When I was about thirteen, I got caught... kissing a person at school—a boy. The issue went directly to the principal, who immediately notified my father. The principal said that I was a disruption at school and would be sent home immediately. Freaking homophobe. Anyways, my father replied in a very nice voice that it was okay since "it was his day off".

I knew I was going to get beaten when I got home. Since my father said it was okay, they let me walk home. I nearly thought about running away, but knew I would probably have to return to His house if I got caught.

When I got home, He was waiting for me by the door. "So you like boys?" He asked.

I didn't answer before He dragged me to my room, where He told me to make my mouth in the shape of a donut. I think you can figure out what happened. Afterwards, He said that if I told my mother or anyone else, He'd kill me.

The months dragged on and the sexual abuse got worse on me to the point of rape, and the physical and emotional abuse got worse on my mother to the point of broken bones.

I remember finding her in the bathroom some nights. She was curled into a ball, looking fearful. When she noticed me, it was like she both did and didn't. She looked at me with dead eyes. I probably returned the same numbness in my eyes.

"He's going to kill us, you know." She said one night. I sneered at her.

"Only you. You're the weak one." I retorted. She looked at me with a small emotion in her eyes, almost like I wasn't her son. Then she retreated back into false numbness.

Some nights, she'd have panic attacks in that bathroom. I heard her whimpering and some nights I almost wanted to go in there and punch some sense into her. How dare she be so weak? How dare she have a nervous breakdown when I was the one who wanted to break down?

One day, I came home from school to find her dead in her bathroom. She had taken too many sleeping pills and slit her wrists. The blood was nearly covering the entire floor. I stayed frozen in the doorway until my father came home. When He saw her, all He said was, "Clean it up."

Instead, as soon as He had gone to the kitchen to get a drink, I went to my room, packed a few essentials, and left.

I spent a few nights on the streets, until I met Falesyia, who took me here. A year later, at sixteen, I met your brother. You probably know the story from there.

----------------------------------------------------

Well, maybe a person wouldn't talk like this, but we'll just say that Aiden does. There would probably be more breaks and pauses and sighs, but it's hard to interrupt talking for that.

Tomorrow, the chapter probably won't be up until evening, I think. It might be up earlier, but if it isn't, this is just your warning. I am sleeping over at a friend's house and I don't know when I'll be back.


	40. Chapter 40

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Okay, back to third person point-of-view.

I came to a realization: AIDEN LIVES IN ME. How creepy is that? Hahaha.  
Hmm. So does Gabriel. Plus Al on his natural hormones. I'm not so sure about Edward or Roy.

----------------------------------------------------

"You probably know the story from there." Aiden finished, his breath shuttering as if he was trying not to cry. It wasn't working though; he had some tears leaking out. It was obvious that he hated his past. Al was speechless, so he merely nodded.

Al found his voice enough to whisper, "I'm sorry."

He felt guilty. Why did he ask? Poor Aiden...

Al leaned over to Aiden and held him in his arms from the side. Aiden hugged back. In order to get closer into the hug, Al crawled on top of Aiden, straddling him.

In an attempt to break the seriousness of the mood (since it just made him feel worse), Aiden gave a soft laugh and said, "You like straddling me, don't you?" He meant it to be a joke, but then he realized that he had just called Al's bluff of not wanting him.

Alphonse turned bright red, but he didn't move off of Aiden. He started avoiding Aiden's eyes though. Due to Al's shyness, Aiden became shy too.

"Hey, uh, I was just kidding..." Aiden said in an attempt to retract his earlier statement. Al nodded.

However, due to the overload of hormones, Al had a sudden mood swing into braveness. He leaned forward, getting dangerously close to Aiden's face.

"So what if I do?" He whispered.

"Then I'd have to say that I don't think you thought I was Winry." Aiden said.

Al moved his lips even closer to Aiden's. "And if I didn't?" He asked.

As a reply, Aiden leaned up a little bit and kissed Alphonse. They both got really into the kissing until both of them were breathing heavily enough that they had to stop.

Once Aiden had enough breath to speak, he said, "This is so wrong. You're my ex's brother..."

"And you're my brother's ex." Al said, the idea dawning on him that he had basically just betrayed Edward. Despite the fact that Ed ended it with Aiden, it was brother's code not to date exes.

"We shouldn't tell anyone about this." Aiden suggested. Al nodded in agreement.

"Do you mind if we do it again though? Kissing is fun." Al said. Aiden gave a slight giggle before kissing Al again.

A few minutes later, the two both decided to stop. Al got off of Aiden, as much as he wanted to stay where he was, and then helped Aiden up.

They both took one last glance at the moon and then went quietly back inside. Silently, they agreed to sleep on their backs next to each other, not touching.

---

Edward stretched and yawned. The sun was beaming through the window of the room he was in. Groggily, he stood up, and immediately yawned again. It was a deep yawn too—the kind that cause people to slightly crouch as if about to fall.

Ed clapped his hands together and transmuted his bed back into a couch. He hadn't even considered the idea until he was in the room, but when he saw the couch, he transmuted it into a mattress. It was so much more comfortable that way.

He looked in on Aiden and Al, who were both asleep in the same bed still. _I guess them sleeping in the same bed was not a problem._ He noticed, however, that Gabriel was missing from his bed.

A jolt of fear shot through his body. He quickly began searching every room, but wasn't that far down the hallway when he found Falesyia playing Go Fish with Gabriel.

_Oh thank god._ Ed thought as he brought a hand to his chest. "Hey, Falesyia." Edward said, causing Falesyia to look up at him. "Would you mind watching Gabriel? I'm going to go for a walk."

"Will do." Falesyia said before turning back to Gabriel. "Got any five's?"

"Go fish!" Gabriel exclaimed. He then gave his farewell to Edward: "Bye Daddy!"

Edward didn't even know that at that very minute, Roy had sent out the military to search the city for him. The personnel were under the proposal that Edward had court on Monday and his whereabouts had to be known at all times, and thus he was to be brought back to Colonel Mustang when he was found.

---

Edward let out a soft sigh and looked up at the blue sky. It was beautiful out, and he could almost hear the birds singing.

Unfortunately, this beauty was wrecked by the sudden shouts of "There he is!" "Are you sure?" and "Yes! Who else could be that short?"

Edward whipped around, intending to yell back at whomever had said that—he was smart enough to know that the remarks were directed at him. He saw two people running towards him, though he didn't know them.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING SHORT!" He said, lacking his usual creativity.

"Oh yeah! It's definitely him. That's exactly how the Colonel said he would react." One man said.

"Yeah. Now just to bring him to the Colonel." The other man said. Edward tensed up at Roy's military title.

"Excuse me?" Edward said. They had been talking as if he wasn't even there.

"Major Edward Elric?" The first man asked.

"Yes..."

"We have orders to bring you back to headquarters to Colonel Mustang. Will you cooperate?" The first man asked in a serious manner.

"No!" Edward said. Both the soldiers sighed.

"Damn it." The second man said. Both of them pulled out a handgun of their own. "Edward Elric, do you confirm that you are are willingly resisting military forces, thereby causing the military forces in question to have to use force?"

"You're damn right I am." Edward said, clapping his hands and transmuting a blade onto his arm.

----------------------------------------------------

Okay, just to confirm: the reason the second man asked Edward that question was for an official statement.


	41. Chapter 41

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

The italicized bit in the beginning is a bit from the last chapter.  
First man—Man #1  
Second man—Man #2  
The guns? I specified them to handguns. I don't want anyone confused.

I think I suck at fight scenes. I'm telling you that before it even starts.

----------------------------------------------------

"_Damn it." The second man said. Both of them pulled out a handgun of their own. "Edward Elric, are you willingly resisting military forces, thereby causing the military forces in question to have to use force?"_

"_You're damn right I am." Edward said, clapping his hands and transmuting a blade onto his arm._

Man #1 took aim at Edward's left, automail leg, probably to disable him. The automail was hidden, so the man didn't realize that it wasn't flesh. Ed grinned.

"You sure you want to shoot that?" The man shot a confused look at Man #2, who shrugged in return. In their hesitation, Edward jumped forward, grabbed a hold of Man #1's gun, and jerked it, successfully throwing it over his shoulder about forty feet away. He wasn't quick enough to knock Man #2's gun away and had to jerk away as a bullet whizzed past his head. Since Edward was close enough, he swung a punch into Man #1's head, knocking the man out.

That probably wasn't a good idea. Man #2 was now pissed off. He fired bullets rapidly at Edward's limbs, sometimes even at his torso or head. Luckily, Edward was able to dodge them all, but some of them he just barely missed. It seemed like more, but this was all done within six bullets. When Man #2 was trying to reload, a hand came out of nowhere and held a moist cloth over Edward's mouth.

Edward tried to fight the hand. He did anything—pushed away, tried to elbow the hand's owner, and even tried to stamp on the owner's foot, but he was losing his awareness of everything. He did hear the hand's owner yell, "Damn it! Mustang told you not to harm him!" and thought, _"I'm going to kill that bastard Colonel"_ before he lost consciousness, slumping against the owner.

---

When Edward woke up, two men were on either side on him, each holding him by his arms, which was holding him up. His feet were twisted behind him as if he was dragged.

Edward looked up to find Roy Mustang in his desk, talking to Breda.

"You're absolutely _sure_ that it was necessary to knock him out?" Roy asked. He looked rather angry, to be truthful, and it looked as if the anger was directed at Breda.

"Yes, sir. He was resisting." Breda replied.

"Sir?" One of the men holding Edward spoke up, causing Edward too look up at him. He didn't recognize the guy. Roy looked over at the man who had just spoken. "The, uh, boy. He's awake."

Edward shifted his feet so he could stand on his own before jerking his arms away from the men one at a time. He was about to shout his usual nonsense at the man who had spoken before Roy barked angrily, "Hold your tongue, FullMetal!"

Edward shot him a glare.

"Dismissed, Breda, Smith, Williams." The three men (including the two ex-holders of Edward) saluted and left the room, shutting the door behind them. Edward watched them go, trying to avoid looking at Roy.

"Edward."

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Kind of an awkward place to end, but you'll just have to deal, okay?


	42. Chapter 42

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

The blow up between Roy and Edward totally makes up for the failure of a fight scene in the last chapter...I think.

----------------------------------------------------

"Edward." The tone Roy used was neutral, neither angry nor sad. Slowly, Edward turned around to face Roy. Roy was sitting in his chair, glaring at Edward. "Tell me, was it really necessary to run away like a goddamned eight-year-old?"

"Tell _me_, was it really necessary to sent military soldiers after me?" Edward replied, mocking Roy.

"And now we begin the goddamn sarcasm." Roy said. "You are such a fucking child."

"Then you lust after children!" Edward yelled. He was facing Roy now, fists clenched at his sides. Roy had jumped up in response to Edward's yelling, and was now making his way to be full in Edward's face.

"Who the hell says I would lust after such an immature brat?" Roy asked, one of the stupidest things he could have said at that point. Edward drew back his automail fist and would have very well broke Roy's nose, in a similar fashion to Mr. Wellham's, if he had not hesitated. After all, he loved Roy. He couldn't help but hesitate, no matter how angry he was at the man. Roy took a hold of the automail wrist and guided it back down to Edward's side. "See that? Irrational violence is pretty immature, Edward." He said it rather softly, with just a tint of anger in his voice. Slowly, Roy stepped away from the teenager.

Edward was still fuming, but the soft voice had managed to calm him down some—after all, he didn't want to seem... _immature_.

"Well." Edward struggled to keep his voice even. "What the fuck did you call me in here for?"

"Watch the language. You're at work now." Roy replied, rather calmly.

"YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER AND YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO SAY!" Edward yelled in one breath.

"I'm your BOSS, FullMetal! You WILL not say what I say not to, lest you be fired!" Roy yelled back. Edward let out a shriek of frustration.

"Just tell me what you wanted me here for that you sent the military dogs on me for!" He yelled.

"You have court on Monday. It's Friday, and we can't have you disappearing." Roy replied simply, all traces of anger gone from his voice. He sat back down in his chair.

"So you had military men attack me?" Edward replied, his voice shaking with anger. "Damn it. Damn you, bastard." Edward took a deep breath before continuing. "I would have shown up for court on Monday. I have a goddamn child waiting for me; I can't go missing."

"Child?" Roy asked. His eyebrows were raised. He wasn't sure if Edward meant Alphonse or someone else.

"Yes. Gabriel. Remember?" Edward replied, suddenly calm at the thought of Gabriel. He looked out the window at the clear day. Gabriel would love playing with him in this, and here Edward was stuck with this bastard Colonel instead.

"Edward?" Roy asked gently. Ed returned his gaze into the room and met Roy's eyes. "I just have one question for you. Will you answer if for me without getting angry? Please?"

The way Roy asked made Edward weak; he couldn't stay mad, as much as he wanted to.

"Fine." Edward said.

"What happened on Wednesday with Mr. Wellham? I want the complete story, not just fragments." Roy said.

Edward sighed and took a seat on Roy's couch. "It was Aiden, Alphonse, Gabriel, and I. We were walking down the street without realizing where we were headed. Suddenly, a man—Mr. Wellham—called out to us to keep that...thief away from his store. Aiden was actually the one who got angry. Mr. Wellham went on to call Gabriel vermin and insult him, saying he should be locked up. When he _spit_ at Gabriel—." Roy interrupted Edward at this point.

"Wait, he spit at a six-year-old?"

"Yes." Edward said.

"Hmm. He neglected to mention that. Go on."

"Well, when he spit at Gabriel, that was when I broke his nose."

"Aiden broke his ribs then?" Edward didn't make any gesture or noise at Roy's question. _Of course,_ Roy realized, _Edward is going to take the blame for Aiden. _He let the matter slip too, and said "You should have explained that before blowing up at me, Edward."

"I couldn't." Edward said simply.

"Oh? Why not?" Roy asked. Edward focused intensely on his lap, determined not to look at Roy. He was turning red with a blush under Roy's gaze.

"Roy, can I ask you something?" Edward asked, still not looking up.

"Of course." Roy replied, still looking at the teenager.

"What do you think of Ishbalans?" If Edward had looked up, he would have seen Roy's face go pale as a sheet of paper.

----------------------------------------------------

Yes, cliffy. Yes, I'm evil. But, it keeps you interested, eh?


	43. Chapter 43

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

----------------------------------------------------

"_Roy, can I ask you something?" Edward asked, still not looking up.  
_"_Of course." Roy replied, still looking at the teenager.  
"What do you think of Ishbalans?" If Edward had looked up, he would have seen Roy's face go pale as a sheet of paper._

"Ish-Ishbalans?" Roy stuttered, causing Edward to finally look up and see the paleness in Roy's face.

"Yes, Ishbalans." Edward confirmed.

"I do not think I have a right to have an opinion on them." Roy said very softly. "I wish the military—no, I wish _I_ hadn't treated them as I had..."

"I see." Edward said. There was a long pause in which neither alchemist said anything nor looked at each other.

Finally, Edward stood up. Just as he was about to exit the office, he said, "Roy, tonight: I want you to meet Gabriel."

---

It turns out that Roy was going to meet Gabriel a lot faster than Edward had expected.

Edward walked into Hooligan's to be greeted by Aiden, Al, and Gabriel, who were all sitting on the floor, playing Go Fish.

"Falesyia get tired of him?" Edward asked.

"Yes." Aiden stood up and put his hands on his hips, almost like an angry wife. "Where have you been?" He asked, impatience obvious in his voice.

"If you must know, I had the military police after me." Edward said. Al gasped. "Luckily, I just had to go see Roy so he knew I was alive and not ditching my trial."

"Hmph." Aiden replied, sitting down again. "Want to play some Go Fish?"

"No, thanks. I kind of want to run. Anyone up for a race?"

"I am." Al said, setting down his cards.

"Me too!" Gabriel exclaimed.

"Okay." Aiden caved to peer pressure.

The four boys lined up at the end of a street. The race was simple: run to the end of the street, turn left, run down that street, turn right, run down that street, and then finish at the end of it.

Edward and Aiden pulled ahead right away. Alphonse probably could have too, but he decided to be the one who stayed back for Gabriel. He wanted to test how fast this new body could go, but decided it would be better if he watched after Gabriel.

Edward had snuck a glance back at Al before he had started running faster. The glance had a question in it: _Is it okay?_ Alphonse gave a nod, letting his brother know that he would take care of Gabriel.

That was how it became Aiden versus Edward. As the two teens raced, everything turned into just shapes and obstacles. They were back to old times—the times before Edward was dating Roy, and both were light-hearted due to it. Had they not been concerned with keeping their breath, they would have looked at each other laughing. As it was, they simply tried to get ahead of the other.

They were side by side when suddenly Edward slowed down to a stop.

_Good, I'm going to win._ Aiden thought.

What he didn't know was that Ed stopped because one of the shapes they were approaching was becoming familiar.

---

Roy Mustang was angry. No, he was more than angry: he was downright enraged.

His office duties included watching over his subordinates and signing papers. They did NOT include making coffee. He was not a secretary!

He was a colonel. He was in charge of people and their duties.

In consideration to that, he should not have to make coffee. Even less than having to make coffee, he should definitely NOT be sent to fetch coffee beans when there was none left.  
This is what was passing through Roy's head as he walked down the street.

That is, until a teenager ran by Roy, half colliding with him. The teenager stayed on track while Roy was knocked off balance.

_DAMN IT!_ He thought. _I am a fucking Colonel, and even though I am being treated as a secretary currently, I refuse to be disrespected like one._

"Watch it!" Roy yelled. The teen came to a halt to turn around and stick out his tongue. He then took off running again. Pissed, Roy pursued him. He managed to grab the boy by the arm. "I am a State Military Colonel and you will show me respect!" He hollered. "Do you understand me??"

The kid, apparently shocked at being caught, merely nodded. "Y-yes, sir."

"ROY!" Edward appeared out of nowhere. Roy let go of the kid and turned to face Ed. "Damn it, let go of him." Edward said, and Roy did so. "Aiden, are you okay?"

Aiden cast a fearful glance at Roy and stuttered "Y-yeah."

"Oh, so this is the famous Aiden?" Roy asked, looking down at the teenager. If Roy were honest, he would have admitted that the boy was sort of cute. However, he was still a bit jealous of Aiden.

"Of course!" Edward snapped at Roy.

"Figures." He sneered. He didn't mean to act like he was, but he was already irritated over being sent to get coffee, and now hooligans were running into him as if he was not human.

"Excuse me?" Edward asked, venom evident in his voice.

"The kid has no sense of respect. Obviously you learned it from him."

"Or maybe," Edward said, angry, "He learned it from me."

Roy didn't have a chance to respond before two more boys showed up: Alphonse and Gabriel.

----------------------------------------------------

Okay, mild cliffhanger. Not that bad though—not compared to the one yesterday.


	44. Chapter 44

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

The Mary Sue Litmus Test says that I should "start over" with Aiden. He's pretty much a Mary Sue. He got 40, I think. Pfft.  
Gabriel, on the other hand, is just fine. He's "probably not a Mary Sue". Of course, he's six. So some of the questions couldn't even apply to him.

----------------------------------------------------

Alphonse and Gabriel stopped running and thus walked up to the group made up of Aiden, Edward, and Roy.

"Hello, Alphonse." Roy said.

"Hi, Colonel." Al said. Roy looked at the boy accompanying Al; he was Ishbalan. Roy was quick to connect the dots. But, no. It couldn't be Gabriel…could it?

"So, who is this young boy?" Roy asked; he was unaware of his actual awareness to the answer.

"Uhh." Al didn't respond—he simply looked at Edward in desperation.

"That would be Gabriel." Edward said confidently. His confidence sank, however, when he saw that Roy looked a bit nervous.

"You, ah, you didn't tell me he was Ishbalan." Roy said nervously, which Aiden took the wrong way.

"You got a problem with Ishbalans??" Aiden yelled angrily. Roy shot a glare at Aiden. Just by the intensity of anger in the air, Gabriel had the sense to hid behind Al, clinging to his pants.

"What did I just say about respecting me? I don't have any problem with Ishbalans, and you misunderstood. You need to learn to control your anger, just like Edward has to." While Roy was giving his little speech, Gabriel had transferred his clinging of pants to Edward.

"Daddy?" He whispered. Edward squatted down to be at eye level with Gabriel. Gabriel whispered, "Who is this man? Why is he angrying Dad?" **(A/N: Yes, Gabriel made up that word.)**

"This is Colonel Mustang." Edward said. He ruffled Gabriel's hair lightly. "He's okay."

"That's The Devil?" Gabriel asked, looking up at Roy with a new sense of fear. He forgot what Edward had said last time, and blurted out, "But he'll bur—."

"Gabriel!" Edward hushed him. He glanced up to see Roy looking down at Gabriel with shock and fear. It was obvious that he had heard the boy, and knew what Gabriel was going to say.

Roy ran off without any farewell.

"Some Colonel he is." Aiden muttered. Edward stood up.

"Damn it." Edward said under his breath. "Aiden, Al, watch Gabriel." He said before taking off after Roy.

Roy was turning down an alley when Edward was able to catch up, though it was obvious that he had no designation. Edward clapped his hands, slammed them to the ground, and made a wall in Roy's path. Roy turned around, looking for a place of escape, but there was none. Edward was blocking the exit.

"Roy." Edward said the name softly, trying to calm the man.

"You didn't tell me he was Ishbalan." Roy said, looking at Edward with fear reflecting on his face and in his eyes. His voice hitched. "You didn't say he was Ishbalan. You didn't even _hint_ that he was Ishbalan…" Roy was breaking down as he repeated the phrase, until tears rolled down his cheeks. He collapsed to his knees in the alleyway.

"I'm sorry." Edward said softly. He decided not to mention that his leap of "What do you think of Ishbalans" to "I want you to meet Gabriel" in the office today was a huge hint.

"I probably killed his family, didn't I?" Roy asked.

"I can honestly say no." Edward said. "Though his abusive mother would have deserved it."

Roy made a noise in his throat—a sob. It was obvious that he didn't find such a statement amusing or appropriate. Edward kneeled down and took Roy into a hug, sitting in his lap, since it was the best way to do such. Roy desperately held onto Edward, sobbing into the teenager's jacket.

"It should have been me." He whispered, whimpered, and choked out over and over. Edward wasn't entirely sure how to respond, so he just made hushing sounds, stroked Roy's hair, and tried to assure him that it was okay repeatedly. At some points, he kissed the tears on Roy's cheeks, trying to make them stop flowing.

---

Finally, Roy started to settle down, though Edward still held onto him.

Roy sniffed and sat up. "I'm sorry. I usually don't cry like this." He said. He gave a bitter laugh before saying, "Usually I just get suicidal urges."

Edward kissed him. "No more talk of that." He said when he pulled back. It was bad enough seeing Roy crying.

"So, your 'son'…Ishbalan?"

"Yes. I wasn't sure how to tell you…I was going to show you tonight." Edward said. "Maybe I would have told you and then showed you. I wasn't sure what reaction to expect. I'm sorry about what he said. He didn't mean it—he's only six, after all. He picks up things, such as me complaining about you and the fact that you are the Flame Alchemist. Of course, I had to explain how you make fire out of nowhere. That's where he got that from; he doesn't know you were part of the Ishbalan war."

"Okay. It's just…hearing an Ishbalan say that… It... hurts. I wasn't prepared to hear that." Roy said in a depressed and trailing manner.

"I know, and I'm really sorry. I told him not to say such things before." Edward replied. "So, are you going to be able to accept that my son is Ishbalan?"

"Of course, Edward. I love you." Roy leaned up and kissed the teenager.

"I love you too." Edward said, and kissed Roy again.

----------------------------------------------------

A/N: ...Okay, so Roy crying was OOC. If you were thinking about pointed that out, you really should go back and read the story again—there is a lot of OOC-ness, and it'd be sad if you were JUST noticing it now...No offense.


	45. Chapter 45

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Unrelated notes: I am in the process of reading the manga, and you know what? Edward is left-handed...Just like me:-D

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"Well then, we should probably get headed back." Roy said. Edward leapt up from his position on Roy's lap with ease. Roy stood up and brushed off his pants. After Edward transmuted his wall back down, the two left the alley to return to the others.

"So what are you doing out on the street? Shouldn't you be signing papers?" Edward asked.

"The higher ups needed coffee beans. Normally, I send Riza to do it, but she has the day off. Everyone else was an absolute no: Havoc would probably buy cigarettes with the military money; Fuery, Breda, and Falman might not be trustworthy either; and Armstrong would probably mix it with some herb that has been passed down through _generation and generation_ of the Armstrong line, but will kill outsiders..." Roy sighed. "That just left me."  
Edward poked at Roy. "Ha ha. Secretary."

Roy glanced around to see if anyone was present. Luckily, they were on a small street and thus no one was visible, at the very least. Roy stopped, causing Edward to stop. He leaned down in Edward face and whispered, "Shorty."

Edward's reaction was immediate: "WHO THE FU—."

Roy interrupted Edward's screaming by kissing him. Edward stopped and kissed back. He could feel Roy smirking, and once they were done, he saw the smirk.

"What's so funny?" Edward asked, blushing under Roy's gaze.

"I have always wondered if that would work." Roy replied. "I'm thankful for teenage hormones."

"Oh shut up, old man." Edward said and started to walk away. Roy caught up before speaking again.

"Pipsqueak." Roy replied, smiling.

"Ancient grandpa." Edward couldn't help but smile too at their playful teasing. As much as being called short was annoying him, he knew Roy was just as insulted at being called old.

"Tiny child."

"Elderly folk."

"Mr. Undersized."

"Mr. Over-aged."

"I'm not over-aged. I'm matured." Roy said, cutting the insults off.

"Fine then. I'm not undersized. I'm fun-sized." Edward replied.

"Sure, Edward, whatever you say. Of course, I suppose you are fun with some things." Roy winked at his lover, whom immediately guessed what he was talking about.

"Yeah, and you're mature at the same things. Of course, maybe that's not a compliment..." Edward said, looking up at Roy with a large smirk on his face.

"I'm taking it as one, FullMetal." Roy replied. "Now, I have to stop in her to get the coffee beans. You might as well wait outside, I suppose."

"Okay." Edward said. He only had to wait a few minutes for Roy to return. "I should probably join Al, Gabriel, and Aiden again, and you have to get to work." He said this as if to confirm that this was correct.

"Of course." Roy said. "I'll walk you to them."

----------------------------------------------------

A/N: I did not come up with Edward saying he's "fun-sized." Unfortunately, I have forgotten who did. Oops.  
Oh man. Is that a cliffhanger? What if I told you that there would be no more drama in this scene?


	46. Chapter 46

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Notes: Hey there. Have you been wondering what Aiden looks like? Well, then I've got great news for you! Drawn by FF's very own Alima8314, there is now a fan art available of Aiden. You can find the link on my page, near the bottom of my profile where it is describing this story!  
(Only $49.99! ...Haha, I made this sound like an advertisement.)

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Alphonse waved excitedly when he saw Roy and Edward headed towards himself, Gabriel, and Aiden. Aiden stood up from his where he was sitting on the sidewalk, and Gabriel followed his example.

When Gabriel saw it was Edward, he ran to him excitedly. Edward half-kneeled expectantly, and Gabriel leapt into his arms. Standing up straight, Edward hugged a now dangling Gabriel.

"You miss me, kiddo?" Edward asked, letting Gabriel down.

"Yes, Daddy!" Gabriel then turned to Roy. "Mr. Devil, I'm sorry for upsettling you earlier." **(A/N: Gabriel made up "upsettling" too. I just don't want you to think it's a spelling error.)**

"It's okay, Gabe." Roy said, looking down at the boy. He politely ignored being called Mr. Devil. After all, the kid just thought he was a devil due to flames and their association with hell. Aiden and Ed looked at each other—no one called Gabriel by the nickname "Gabe". It just seemed slightly odd to do such. Edward smiled, though, because it meant that Roy was warming up to his son. Besides, it didn't sound that odd coming out of Roy's mouth.

"Hey, Gabriel, want to see something cool?" Edward asked, breaking eye contact with Aiden to look down at his son.

"Yes." Gabriel replied, bouncing on his heels. Edward walked over to one of the trees on the side of the road and ripped off a small branch with a bunch of leaves. He then squatted down by Gabriel and motioned for Roy to do the same. Edward looked at Roy, held up the branch, and snapped his fingers. Gabriel looked at the pair in confusion.

Roy caught on though and took the branch from Edward. "All right, Gabe, be careful now." He warned, before holding up the branch and setting it on fire. Gabriel looked at the bright flame in great amusement.

"Magic fire!" He squealed. Edward had flashbacks of Nina with the "magic flowers" before he shook his head and let the memory slip into the back of his mind again. Luckily, Edward and Aiden had taught Gabriel well enough that Gabriel knew not to touch the flames. Once the fire had died out, Roy stood up.

"Well, I should probably get back to work." He said.

"Okay."

"Bye Gabe." Roy said.

"Bye, Mr... Flame!" Gabriel said. Roy had no choice but to smile at that.

"Bye Al. Aiden." Roy said to the two, who were standing next to each other quietly, as they had been the entire time. Aiden gave a slight glare towards Roy, obviously still upset about earlier. Roy gave a slight glare right back, but Roy broke eye contact first to show he was the more mature of the two of them.

"Bye, Colonel." Alphonse said, happily. Finally, Roy turned to Edward. Quickly, he took the teenager's hand and squeezed it once before letting it go. He gave a small glance around to make sure that no one around them saw it.

"Bye, Edward." He nearly whispered, thought it was joyfully that he whispered.

"Bye, Roy." Edward said in return. With the farewells complete, Roy left towards Central.


	47. Chapter 47

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

----------------------------------------------------

Gabriel let out a high-pitched scream that made everyone around him jump several feet in the air.

"Daddy!! My tooth fell out!!" He yelled after his initial scream.

Edward and Aiden were quick to kneel down by Gabriel. Aiden took the tooth from Gabriel's hand and pocketed it in his jeans.

"Gabriel, shh. It'll be okay." Edward said.

"I'm scared!" Gabriel hollered, though his fear was showing in his widened eyes.

"Hey now. Remember the last time you lose a tooth? You got a dollar after putting it under your pillow, remember?" Edward continued.

"Was it bleeding last time?" Aiden asked Ed, looking at the place where Gabriel's tooth fell out—right next to one of the front ones.

"IT'S BLEEDING?!" Gabriel screeched.

"No, no, darling, it's okay." Edward said, shooting Aiden a glare.

"What?" Aiden asked.

"Don't scare him." Ed replied.

"Well...it IS bleeding."

Gabriel gave another scream. He had dabbed his finger over the gap where the missing tooth is and found by the blood on his finger that it was indeed bleeding.

"I'M GOING TO DIE!!" Gabriel cried hysterically.

"Hun, it'll be fine. The blood will stop." Aiden said.

"Are you sure, Dad?" Gabriel asked, taking a moment to stop panicking.

"Quite. Come on now, we should get out of here. People are giving us rude looks." Aiden scooped Gabriel up and flipped off a few especially glaring people. The group of Aiden, Edward, Gabriel, and Alphonse began to walk towards Hooligan's with a silent agreement. Gabriel fell asleep in Aiden's arms before they talked again.

"You know...I don't like that Colonel." Aiden said.

"I do." Edward muttered, though it was barely audible.

"Yeah, we know you do. At least, you damn well better, since you're dating him." Aiden said, smirking at Edward. Aiden got no response besides a blush, so he asked Al, "Anyways, what do you think of him, Alphonse?"

"He can be okay. He's helpful, at the very least." Al said, feeling guilty since he was making Aiden the single person in the group that didn't like Roy.

"Yeah, well. I still don't like him." Aiden said in a way that told it was the end of the discussion.

They arrived at Hooligan's shortly afterwards.

"Aiden?" Edward paused for a response.

"Hmm?"

"Do you, uh, mind if I get Gabriel's tooth? After all, you got his first one. I was just wondering if I could keep it to remember him by when I'm not here." Edward asked awkwardly.

"Oh, sure." Aiden shifted Gabriel to one arm and took out the tooth, all while bitterly thinking, _If you didn't stay at That Colonel's house, you'd be here more often._ He handed it to Edward, who pocketed it.

"Give Gabriel a good night kiss for me, okay? I should be off. Come on, Al." Edward turned to leave, but then Al started his objection.

"Actually, Brother, I was thinking about staying here tonight. To be truthful, I don't like sleeping on a couch much."

"Oh." Edward didn't even give a thought to it that, the previous night, Hooligan's had had nothing but couches. "Okay. Well, good bye then."

Edward gave Al a hug, and then turned to leave again. He would have given Aiden a hug but since Aiden was holding Gabriel, he couldn't.

On the way home, Edward was already deciding that, since Alphonse wouldn't be there, he could truly show Roy how grateful he was for Roy's kindness to his kid.

----------------------------------------------------

Heehee. Not a cliffhanger. A teaser. There is a difference. :-)


	48. Chapter 48

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

**Notes:** A chapter had been added in the place of the author's notes in the beginning (It is chapter four.) It's not going to affect anything if you don't read it, just so you know. HOWEVER, this means that all the chapter titles have changed to match the number they go with. It will not affect whether you can review, nor the comments you made on past chapters (that was one of my main worries and thus why I couldn't just delete the author's notes.)  
A few lines have been added to chapter 9 as well, just to make it so that Edward could actually reach the letter (thank you to Alima8314 for pointing this out).

**Warning:** M-Rated Section in this chapter. It will warn you right before it happens. This lemon is optional and completely your choice to read. Any flames claiming else wise or saying you weren't efficiently warned will be **IGNORED** or **FLAMED RIGHT BACK**.

**Special thanks to:** Songfic Misstress for helping with the lemon.

----------------------------------------------------

Edward arrived at Roy's house already worked up sexually. _Stupid hormones_, he thought, but there was a smile on his face. He was getting laid tonight.  
Quickly, Ed made sure there were ice cubes in the refrigerator and the condoms and lubrication on the bedroom nightstand. He then sat down and read for a few hours, stopping only when Roy was due home in half an hour.

---

Roy walked in to see Edward waiting for him, dressed normally in his black clothes but wearing for the look of desire on his face as well.

"Hey." Roy said, taking off his coat.

"Roy, I want to thank you for being nice to my Gabriel today."

"So you're going to seduce me to thank you?" Roy had always been able to predict Edward's intentions. "That's pretty warped, isn't it?"

Edward pushed Roy against the wall next to the door. He kissed him once, a simple closed-mouth kiss. "Not at all. You did sometimes that I liked, and now I'm going to give you something you like."

Edward smirked before kissing Roy again. Roy was quick to kiss right back.

**---Warning: Lemon. That means M-Rated. That means, if you do not want to read about the sexual activities of two men, STOP READING. Look for the next set of bolded words that say the end of the lemon.---**

Careful not to be noticed, Edward removed a mildly melted ice cube from his pocket; it had only been sitting in there a few minutes. He lifted his hand with the ice cube and put it to Roy's neck. At first, Roy jerked away, but then Edward rubbed it around a bit, and Roy began to breathe a bit heavier, clearly aroused by the coldness. He kissed Edward with a bit more forced and took hold of the teen around his waist before pulling Edward's pelvis closer to his own.

"Edward." Roy moaned. "We should go to the bedroom."

Edward smiled a little bit—clearly Roy was turned on, and it was slightly amusing, due to Edward's still intact control of his own arousal.

Roy saw Edward smile and had to smirk too at the situation. He then began to kiss, nip, and lick Edward around the neck and Edward began to breathe heavier too.

"Yeah." Edward moaned out, finally agreeing to Roy's statement. The trip to the bedroom was a little awkward, tripping while trying to remove boots and then pants and shirts.

The men were both still in their underwear when they made it to the bed.

Edward sank on to the bed, lying down. Roy placed himself on top on the teen, careful not to crush him by support his weight on his limbs place around Edward. He began to kiss his lover again.

As Roy was kissing Edward's neck, Edward found himself able to gasp, "We still have our—underwear—on."

Roy smirked and slipped his hand into Edward's boxers, finding an already firm cock. Not that he could deny that he was hard. He began to stroke Edward's erection, and Edward began to moan lightly and pant with want and need.

Ed's body began to lightly shake, as he grew closer to climax. Finally, his back arched, he let out a loud moaning of Roy's name, and he burst in his pants. Roy let the teenager settle down a bit before daring to move his hand out of Edward's boxers, though Edward still let out a moan when Roy did. Knowing Edward's teenaged hormones, Roy could almost say that moving out of Edward's underwear almost caused Edward to orgasm again.

Roy couldn't deny that his own erection was growing slightly painful, but he knew how to wait for delayed gratification. While Edward was settling from his climax, Roy slipped his briefs off and reached for the lubrication that Edward has set on the bed stand. Roy almost chuckled; the teen knew what he was doing.

After lubricating two of his fingers, Roy slipped his hand inside Ed's boxers again and slipped his fingers inside Edward's ass. Edward was quick to respond and turned to his side to let Roy have better access, gritting his teeth against the mixed pleasure and pain, trying to hold out longer than he did last time, as Roy stroked him, causing Edward to get worked up again.

"Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy." Edward moaned the name several times before finally moaning the one he meant to say and the one Roy wanted to hear: "_Enter_."

Roy slipped his fingers out and slipped Edward's boxers off. Edward turned to his stomach, pulling his knees up so his ass stuck in the air. He then pushed himself up with his arms so he was on all fours.

Rather gingerly, Roy guided himself in past the tight ring of muscle, feeling ecstasy wash over himself, and then began to move in and out on the opening. The motions grew faster as Roy grew closer to climax. Both the men began breathing heavier and Roy, like Edward, let out a loud moaning of his lover's name as he came.

He then pulled out and fell down to lie down on his back, exhausted. Maybe he really was old.

**---END OF LEMON. Note to anyone who did not read the lemon: Both Roy and Edward are in Roy's bed. Roy is lying on his back and Edward is on his stomach.---**

Edward moved to lie partially on top of Roy, who was laying on his back, kissing him a few times before finally letting his head rest on Roy's chest. Roy lifted the hand that wasn't under Edward and began to stroke the teen's hair.

"I love you." Edward said quietly.

"I love you too." Roy replied.

Both men fell asleep quite easily that night.

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Again, NO FLAMES. I'm sure I won't get any, but I like being extra cautious. :-)


	49. Chapter 49

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Notes: This is kind of a transition chapter. The next one probably will be too, so that you know what happened on Sunday.

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In contrast to Roy and Edward, the night was uneventful for Alphonse and Aiden. They avoided even kissing each other due to the complications it could cause. Alphonse slept down the hall rather than even trying to sleep in the same bed as Aiden again.

Gabriel was exhausted from the long day and the near-death experience of losing a tooth, so he feel asleep as soon as he was inside of Hooligan's.

Al and Aiden had some awkward conversations about random happenings, but finally Al decided it was time to go to sleep. Luckily, a bed was unoccupied this evening, so he didn't have to worry about sleeping on a couch or with Aiden.

After helping tuck Gabriel into sleep, Alphonse walked down the hallway and crawled into the bed.

All he could think before he fell asleep was, '_This sucks.'_ He didn't bother to ponder whether he meant the bed, the complicated situation with Aiden, or both.

---

Roy woke up at three in the morning. Due to his regular sleep cycle, his body was used to a set amount of sleep—eight hours. That is what led to him being woken up at three in the morning.

Annoying, Roy jerked himself out of bed. If he fell asleep now, he would sleep for another eight hours, no matter what. His body didn't believe in naps.

Roy worked mechanically through his morning routines—drink coffee, shower, shave, and dress, drink more coffee, style the now somewhat dry hair, and check the paper while drinking coffee.

Alphonse arrived back when Roy was on his fourth cup of coffee. He looked dead tired. Roy made a very gracious offer to share his precious coffee, but Alphonse declined. Al excused himself to go read in the living room.

Luckily, it was Saturday, so Roy didn't have to go to work. However, it struck him (as he was on his sixth cup of coffee) that Edward's trial was in two days. Edward probably hadn't even come up with his defense!

A few minutes later, Edward walked into the room, yawning. He hated being up this early, but Roy and him had fallen asleep rather early the previous night.

"So," Edward said. "How many cups have you had? The spot where you were sleeping is cold, so you must have been up for a while."

"My sixth..." Roy said.

"You're such an addict!" Edward exclaimed, surprised at the number. He was expecting less than that.

Roy smirked. "I know." He paused before telling Edward, "Oh, and Al is in the living room reading. I wouldn't be offended if you joined him."

Edward yawned and nodded at the same time. He turned and joined Alphonse in reading.

That's how Saturday was spent: Ed and Al read books, and Roy sucked down way too much coffee.

Of course, Roy tried to read with them, but his hands shook with too much energy so it was hard to concentrate on the words. Eventually, Roy just gave up, but decided to stop drinking more coffee. His day was spent coming down from his caffeine high. He forgot to ask Edward if he had come up with a defense.


	50. Chapter 50

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

A/N: Wow! Chapter 50! I can't believe I'm that far already.

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Luckily, Roy went to sleep at a reasonable time on Saturday night, which meant that he woke up at a reasonable time. This meant that when Edward woke up, Roy was on his second cup of coffee, rather than his sixth.

Unfortunately, the morning of Sunday was spent like Saturday had been. Of course, Roy read a book this time, but he sipped coffee during it, though he didn't drink as much coffee as he had on Saturday.

Finally, in the afternoon, Roy confronted Edward with, "So, have you decided what you were going to say during the trial?" Of course, Roy knew the answer; Edward never prepared for anything. This was just his opening line to force Edward to get ready for the trial.

Edward glanced up at Roy and shut his book with his finger marking the spot. "Of course not."

"Well, maybe you should." Roy met Edward's gaze.

"Why? I did the crime. What could I possibly have to offer to make me not guilty?" Edward said and started to open his book again.

"We just need to prepare what you are going to say." Roy said. He stood up, walked over to Edward, and took him by the arm. "Come on, let's to the kitchen. We have to do this."

"I don't want to." Edward said this like a small child who didn't want to do his homework. Roy rolled his eyes. He dragged Edward to the kitchen table, causing his book to drop in the process, and sat him down. Edward was the first to say something. "Seriously, Roy, I don't see how this will help..."

"It will make you look better if you are prepared, and you might get off the hook easier." Roy stated.

"I still don't see what I have to prepare for. I know my story, and I'm going to tell it like it happened." Edward crossed his arms stubbornly. Roy sighed.

"The thing is, I'm not sure if the court will care much if Mr. Wellham was attacking Gabriel for being Ishbalan."

"So I'll tell them what I told you: he was attacking Gabriel for 'stealing', even though Gabriel did no such thing." Edward declared.

"Who are you bringing as witnesses?"

"Well, Al of course...I could bring Aiden too. Gabriel, since he would give away the fact that I was defending an Ishbalan, is a 'no', isn't he?"

"Correct. We can't bring Gabriel. If you bring Aiden, you have someone to watch over Gabriel, right?"

"Yes." Edward said, thinking of Falesyia.

"Right. We need to get you something nice to wear too."

"What's wrong with my regular clothes?" Edward asked.

"They aren't very...professional." Roy replied.

"Do you have a necktie?"

"Yes..."

"Good, then I'll just wear that with my clothes." Edward stated. Roy sighed.

"You're so stubborn. But," Roy leaned over and kissed Edward on the forehead. "I love it...sometimes. So, do you think you are ready for the trial?"

"To be honest, I'm nervous." Edward admitted. Roy ruffled the teen's hair, but it was slightly difficult due to the braid pulling the hair tight.

"That's to be expected." Roy said.

----------------------------------------------------

Notes: I don't like this chapter since it's too much dialogue and not enough detail in their actions, but it serves its purpose, I guess. The next chapter will have more detail in the characters' actions, if I have any say... which, hopefully I do...


	51. Chapter 51

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Notes: I've never actually been to court before, so this might be kind of like the judge shows on television. Plus it's probably slightly unrealistic.  
Also, I'm not sure if $3000 is too much or too little for Mr. Wellham to be suing for.

You remember how the last two chapters have been, like Edward, short? (**Edward:** DON'T CALL ME SMALL! **Me:** HOLD YOUR TONGUE, FULLMETAL!)  
This chapter...isn't. It is three and a half pages, if single-spaced and not counting author's notes. Thus, it's probably five or six pages for you. :-)

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Sunday night, Edward walked to Hooligan's to ask Aiden to be his witness. Aiden willingly accepted, stating how he was pissed that Edward was getting in trouble for this.

"What about his broken ribs?"

"I am taking responsibility for that." Edward said. Unlike Edward, Aiden realized that this could cause more trouble.

"Are you sure?" Aiden asked.

"Quite. Now, I have to go ask Falesyia to watch Gabriel." Edward walked off before Aiden could object to Ed's choice.

The visit was brief. After Edward was done talking to Falesyia, he gave Aiden a hug and thanked him, and left.

---

Just like Edward had said he would, he wore one of Roy's ties—a red one—and his regular clothes—a tight shirt, leather jeans, and the black jacket. He left his red one at home, at the request of Roy, though he did manage to point out that it would match his tie.

Roy simply wore his military uniform. He had to, since he was to report to work after the trial. He was taking hours off to go to this trial.

Alphonse borrowed one of Roy's white button-up shirts and black pants. The clothes were slightly too big on him, but they fit enough that they wouldn't fall down.

Once the three men were dressed, they met Aiden outside the courthouse and the four of them went inside together.

---

Edward saw Mr. Wellham before the trial began. Though he didn't need it, Mr. Wellham actually had the nerve to wear a nose guard, but since nose guards are normally only needed when someone with a broken nose is playing sports, he was most likely wearing it to look more pathetic and helpless.

After several minutes of nervous waiting, people were allowed to enter the courtroom. Edward and Mr. Wellham walked to their podiums, while Roy, Alphonse, and Aiden took the witness seats. Edward didn't notice it until the woman was seated, but Mr. Wellham had brought along the woman who had yelled at them once Edward and Aiden had injured Mr. Wellham.

"Quiet in the courtroom. All rise! The Honorable Judge Fairwind will be presiding." The bailiff said as the female judge entered. Everyone in the courtroom stood up in respect. As soon as Judge Fairwind had a seat, the bailiff continued, "You may be seated." Everyone took a seat except for Edward and Mr. Wellham.

"Mr. Wellham, you are suing Mr. Elric for medical charges and emotional damages for a total of $3000, is that right?"

"Yes, Your Honor." Mr. Wellham said.

"Mr. Elric, you are being sued for medical charges and emotional damages for a total of $3000. You have decided not to counter-sue on any charges. Do you understand?" Judge Fairwind asked to make sure that both parties were certain of what was happening.

"Yes, Your Honor." Edward replied.

"Mr. Wellham, let's hear your side of the story." Judge Fairwind said.

"Well, here I was, tending to my self-made business, when these four boys fiercely approached me. Three of them were in their teens, and the fourth one looked about four-years-old. I recognized them because two weeks or so ago, the younger one had attempted to steal something from my store, but I prevented him from losing me money in such a way. The defendant paid for the toy that the young one had tried to steal. Anyways, these four boys approached me, and the defendant then proceeded to tell me that he was the FullMetal Alchemist and he was serving justice. He then violently punched me in the face, shattering my nose. Afterwards I was kicked in the ribs, but I think it was by another one of the kids." Edward looked down and grinned in secret. Good, he could claim credit for breaking the guy's ribs. "So, there I was injured on the street, but luckily a very nice lady approached and told the hooligan's to leave. The entire incident has terrified me and I cannot sleep properly at night." Mr. Wellham stopped. Judge Fairwind noted that Mr. Wellham had failed to look her in the eyes the entire time that he was speaking, and also, despite his claim of getting little or no sleep, he had no purple bags under his eyes. She was also annoyed that he was trying to pull on her heartstrings to make her see his side. It seemed many people tried to do this; due to her gender, they thought she would fall for it. She never did.

"I understand that you have a witness?" Judge Fairwind asked.

"Yes, Your Honor."

"Present her." The woman whom had rushed to Mr. Wellham's aide was brought to the stand and made to swear her honor upon the national military flag. (1)

"Ms... Pennings, is it?" Judge Fairwind asked. Ms. Pennings nodded. "Now, did you actually see Mr. Elric, the defendant, attack Mr. Wellham?"  
"No, Your Honor."

"I see. What did you see?"

"I saw, uh, I saw Mr. Wellham lying in the street with the boys standing over him. His nose was bleeding and he was obviously in pain, so I hurried to tell the boys to go away."

"Is that all?" Judge Fairwind asked. She grew even more annoyed—the witness hadn't actually seen that much. However, Judge Fairwind hid her annoyance.

"Yes, Your Honor." Ms. Pennings said.

"You are dismissed." Judge Fairwind waited for the woman to leave before speaking again. "Do you have any more witnesses, Mr. Wellham?"

"No, Your Honor."

"Very well. Mr. Elric, I would like to hear your side of the story." Judge Fairwind prayed that the boy would act more honest than Mr. Wellham and have better witnesses.

"This actually started on the day that the younger, SIX-year-old boy, whose name is Gabriel, accidentally took the toy from the store. He simply took it to show it to a friend of mine and myself. Since he is so young, he did not realize that the act would be seen as stealing." So far, Judge Fairwind had taken a biased view on Edward's side. Not only was he looking her in the eyes, but also his speech was formal and not trying to convince her through word play; he sounded more like he was stating facts. "Mr. Wellham raced out of the store and proceeded to tell Gabriel off, and so I paid for the toy, but not before telling him that he should avoid being so cruel to children. About two weeks later, as Mr. Wellham said, we ran into him again. He began by verbally harassing Gabriel for stealing. It grew to the point of where he actually spit at this six-year-old. I have to admit that this is where I lost my temper, and did the damage to Mr. Wellham. I broke his ribs as well as his nose." _So, the boy has courage to admit it,_ Judge Fairwind thought, _thank goodness._

"I see. Do you have any witnesses to present us with?" She asked.

"I have two witnesses to the incident and two character witnesses." Edward replied. "The first witness I would like to present, if I may, is my brother, Alphonse."

"You may." Judge Fairwind said.

First Alphonse went, and told the same outline of the story as Edward had. Alphonse also added that his brother was only defending Gabriel, since the six-year-old could not defend himself. Aiden followed, also telling the same outline, though he was much more nervous than anyone else had been due to the authority. Luckily, Aiden had dressed in mildly nice clothes for the incident, managing to get a light blue button up shirt and black pants from Falesyia's piles of clothes. He didn't look at all like a hooligan.

"You may now present your character witnesses, Mr. Elric." Judge Fairwind said, once Aiden had left the stand.

"My first character witness is Colonel Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist." Roy took the stand and swore honesty.

"Mr. Mustang, how do you know Mr. Elric?"

"He is my subordinate in the military." Roy replied.

"I see. How long has Edward Elric been serving under your jurisdiction?"

"Five years, Your Honor. He has served under my authority since the age of twelve, when he joined the military."

"I see. How has your experience been with Mr. Elric?"

"Like all teenagers, FullMetal—I apologize, Mr. Elric—can be a little stubborn at times, and sometimes he gets out of control. However, for his age, Mr. Elric is very mature and self-controlled when he wants to be. In my experience, he has never physically hurt someone without good reason." Roy finished.

"Have you met this... Gabriel?" Judge Benedict asked.

"I have, Your Honor."

"Did he seem able to stand up for himself without Mr. Elric's help?"

"With all due respect, Your Honor, he is six-years-old. That should make it obvious that he could not have possibly withstood insults easily."

"I see. I have a note on my sheet that Mr. Elric was disobeying your authority shortly after the incident with Mr. Wellham. Would the two happen to be connected?" Judge Fairwind asked.

"The incident of disobeying authority was a minor happening, and has nothing to do with the current case." Roy said, half-lying. He was annoyed. The incident of Edward trying to get away from the men Roy sent out for him shouldn't even have been on record. "The incident is irrelevant."

"Have the mentioning of such an incident stricken from the record." Judge Fairwind said to the recorder. The recorder secretly rolled his eyes and crossed off the statements.

"I have nothing else to ask. Dismissed, Mr. Mustang." Judge Fairwind said. Roy left the stand. "Your next character witness, Mr. Elric?" The next character witness had been a surprise for even Edward, as he was told about her just before the trial.

"My next character witness is Second Lieutenant Maria Ross." Edward said.

"Oh, hold on. I apologize." Judge Fairwind looked down at her papers, then up at Mr. Wellham. "Mr. Wellham, is there a warrant out for your arrest? Your record says that you have been neglecting taxes on your entrepreneurship." Judge Fairwind stated.

Mr. Wellham did not answer. Instead, he made a mad dash for the door. Unfortunately for him, the guards were very near the doors and caught him easily.

Judge Fairwind shook her head and sighed. Once Mr. Wellham was dragged to the front again, she spoke to him, "Sir, due to your negligence to pay taxes, you will be spending thirty days in jail." She then spoke to the guards, "Take him to Central jail." Once Mr. Wellham was taken from the room, Judge Fairwind turned to Edward, "Mr. Elric, it seems you have caught a break. I am dismissing the case, and you are free to go. However, I would like it noted that the favor was on your side from the moment you told your story—you could meet my eyes and weren't trying to play on my emotions. Take good care of that child, but be sure not to get into any more trouble such as this." Judge Fairwind winked at Edward before leaving the room.

Edward was lucky to be able to restrain himself. He wanted to leap with joy and tackle Judge Fairwind with a hug. He wanted to scream and shout with delight. He wanted to do so many things, but he held on to his self-control.

Edward turned to leave through the gate separating him from the audience, and found he was looking at the faces of Roy, Aiden, and Alphonse. He grinned widely at all of them.

Roy smirked at him.

"Once again, FullMetal gets off without so much as a slap on the hand." Roy said. "Of course, I never had any doubt."

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(1) I had no idea what to make Ms. Pennings swear her honor on. After all, the alchemic world doesn't have Christianity, according to one of the notes in the back of one of issues of the mangas.

Also: I'm not sure how accurate this trial is. If you would like to offer any tips in case I ever have a trial in a story again, I would love to hear them. :-)


	52. Chapter 52

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

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_Roy smirked.  
"Once again, FullMetal gets off without so much as a slap on the hand." Roy said. "Of course, I never had any doubt."_

"I'm so sure. Trying to make me prepare a defense wasn't doubting me at all." Edward crossed his arms and smirked back at Roy.

"Well, maybe just a little bit." Roy admitted. "Come on, let's go pick up Gabriel and I'll treat you all to ice cream as celebration."

"Okay. But," Edward said, "let's go to an ice cream shop that's not across from that bastard's business."

"Good idea, Brother." Alphonse said. Aiden smiled but remained silent.

On the way to Hooligan's to pick-up Gabriel, Edward noticed the huge difference of attitude displayed between Aiden and Roy. He expected them to be acting like the first time they met—bitter, spiteful, and jealous. However, it seemed that they were almost getting along. Of course, they weren't talking to each other, so maybe it couldn't be considered getting alone. It was if they had both decided that they wouldn't talk. Edward shrugged and decided that it was for the best. Maybe they were just doing it so he wouldn't be stuck in the middle.

As soon as Edward stepped inside Hooligan's—the rest of the group decided to wait outside—Gabriel was suddenly right in front of him. It was obvious that the boy had been waiting for him.

"Daddy! Did you win?" He asked. Edward grinned at him.

"Of course."

"Yay Daddy!!!" Gabriel hollered.

"I think everyone in this house could hear that. Come on, let's go get some ice cream." Edward took Gabriel by the hand to lead him and the two stepped outside together.

Once the group had gone through some greetings to Gabriel, the five males walked to an ice cream shop that was a few blocks down from the one across from the toy store.

They were licking their ice cream cones when suddenly Edward gasped.

"Roy, what day is it today?" He asked.

"It's the sixteenth; why?"

"I completely forgot." Edward stated, but didn't answer Roy's question. Instead he turned to Gabriel. "Gabriel, your birthday is in three days. Did you know that?"

Gabriel shook his head as Aiden gasped too. "I didn't realize it was so close!" Aiden said.

"Mhmm." Edward nodded. "We'll have to get you something special this year, won't we Gabriel? After all, you're turning...three, aren't you?" Edward decided to tease Gabriel.

"Noo. I'm turning seven!" Gabriel protested in the way children do when they really think adults have it wrong.

"Or maybe it was five?"

"I'm turning seven!" Gabriel said again in the same voice.

"Hmm. But, judging by the height, it'd have to be younger." Aiden teased, and Roy had no choice but to grin.

"DON'T CALL ME SMALL!" Gabriel burst out.

"DON'T CALL HIM SMALL!" Edward burst out at the same time as Gabriel. Aiden and Roy smirked together.

Alphonse stood by in this little argument and shook his head. One woman, who thought Al was just an observer who didn't know them, whispered to him, "Noisy bunch, huh?"

"Definitely." Alphonse said. The woman left soon afterwards, muttering something about "public decency". Al started giggling, and it grew to the point of laughter.

Aiden, Edward, Gabriel, and Roy all turned to look blankly at the currently bent over Al. Still giggling and laughing, Alphonse attempted to speak, "I...agree...with...that woman... You guys...have...no sense...of public de-decency." Of course, Al could not stop laughing afterwards, which took away his public decency as well. The group had to eventually leave the ice cream shop due to the cold glares of the other customers giving them frostbite (not literally, of course).

They were walking down the street with Al being dragged by Aiden and Edward, when Aiden asked, "So where are we going to have his birthday party?"

Edward looked up with an overdramatic look of sappiness. "Roy...?" His voice oozed mock sweetness.

"...Yes...?" Roy asked, slightly scared. He hadn't heard Aiden's question and thus had no idea what Ed wanted.

"Can we have Gabriel's birthday party at your house...?" Edward asked, voice still mockingly sugary.

"Of course." Roy said. "But only if I get to light the candles." He gave an evil smirk.

"Okay." Edward shrugged.

"Score." Aiden said, smiling.

Roy escorted the boys back to Hooligan's, where everyone except Edward stayed. Apparently Alphonse had taken to living at Hooligan's.

On the way to his house, Roy took Edward's hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"I really am proud of you, you know." Roy said, referring to winning the trial. Somehow able to follow Roy's random trail of thought, Edward smiled.

"Thank you." He said and leaned against Roy slightly. Of course, once they got to the main road, they knew they would have to pull away from each other, but for now, on these deserted streets, each was enjoying the other's touch.


	53. Chapter 53

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

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Aiden, Alphonse, and Gabriel entered Hooligan's together, one after the other. Aiden yawned.

"Tired?" Al asked.

"Yeah, and it's only the evening. Today was a long day." Aiden yawned again. "I might go take a nap. Would you mind watching Gabriel?"

"Not at all." Alphonse said. Aiden left the room yawned before Al turned to Gabriel. "Hey Gabriel, how does coloring sound?"

"Yay coloring!" Gabriel yelled. "You! Sit!" He commanded Al, and then ran to his room to get his coloring book and crayons.

Gabriel's only coloring book was simple—animals that went along with letters of the alphabet. Most of it was already colored, but Gabriel managed to find two pages that weren't. They might have been the last ones.

Gabriel decided that Al got the tiger and he got the monkey. The two of them laid the floor on their stomachs and began coloring. At some point, Al decided he was thirsty.

"Hey, Gabriel, I'm just going to go get a drink." He said. Gabriel nodded without looking up.

Alphonse found Raphael in the kitchen when he walked in.

"He nearly got that coloring book filled?" Raphael asked.

Al nodded as he filled a glass with juice he found in the refrigerator. "I think it is done, actually."

"Good. Now I know what to get him for his birthday." Raphael winked at Al, who smiled.

"Okay. Glad to be helpful." Al then drank his juice. "Well, I should get back to him."

"Okay." Raphael said. Al set his glass in the sink and walked back to the living room to Gabriel, who eagerly showed him a purple monkey.

A little while later, as he was coloring the background, Gabriel fell asleep. Al looked next to him to find Gabriel lying on top of his paper. He chuckled softly, and then picked up Gabriel to carry him to his bed. Al was surprised at Gabriel's weight—Ed made him look so light!

Once Gabriel was settled in, Al looked over at Aiden, who was apparently still taking his nap. Alphonse sighed. Apparently Aiden wasn't waking up any time soon.

Crawling in on the side that Aiden wasn't on, Al settled himself next to the other teen, and soon fell asleep himself.

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A/N: ...Wow. That seemed like such a pointless chapter when I could just skip to Gabriel's birthday. Well, there's going to be more happening later in the night. There. That was a teaser.  
Well, its purpose was not actually to tease you.  
It was to tell you why this chapter wasn't pointless. The problem is that I'm too tired to write anymore tonight (this was written last night).


	54. Chapter 54

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Notes: I'm extremely sorry about yesterday. :-(  
Oh yeah, and: there was a tiny point to that chapter. It was basically what Raphael was going to get Gabriel.

I decided to post this mega early to make up for it, though I'm not sure how much of a point this chapter had either.

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It was just like the last time that Al had slept in a bed with Aiden: sometime early in the morning, Aiden rolled over to face Alphonse. This time, however, Al was asleep by the time he did it.

Unlike Al, Aiden had no reservations about waking people up. He just liked to do it rather...eventfully, so to say.

Thus, when he rolled over to see Al, he immediately pushed Al onto his back and straddled him. Still sleepy, Al reached up to rub his eyes. Aiden watched him in amusement. Once Al had rubbed his eyes and looked up to see Aiden, Aiden bent down and kissed him.

Al kissed back, but felt conflicted. This was his brother's ex-boyfriend...

Aiden began to kiss Al's neck, and Al gasped out, "This is wrong—We agreed, Aiden."

"I know." Aiden said softly. Still, Al thrust his pelvis against Aiden's due to his growing arousal from the kisses. It was then that Aiden bit Al. Hard. It was on instinct, and he didn't consider its consequences. Al made a noise in his throat—of pain. Unlike Ed, he wasn't used to being bitten.

It was Al's pained noise that made Aiden wake up. _This isn't Ed. Alphonse isn't Edward, and I can't treat him like he is. This is Alphonse, and Alphonse is more...sensitive than Edward. Al is the brother of my ex-boyfriend. I don't care if we weren't officially dating; he's still my ex-boyfriend. And this IS wrong._

Aiden decided his limits with Alphonse right then and there. That is why, as the kissing and touching got more intense, he simply masturbated Al and stopped abruptly. Of course, there was more to it than that. There was the panting, moaning, and removal of clothes, but all Aiden could really think about was when to stop himself.

Due to this need to restrain the activity, Aiden forgot about himself. He didn't care about getting himself off, not tonight.

---

The next morning, Al was the first to wake up. He immediately went to the bathroom to look in the mirror and see the bruise Aiden had left him. So far, it didn't look that damaged. Luckily, Aiden had bitten him somewhat on the shoulder, so he could conceal it. Al waited for Aiden and Gabriel to wake up and said goodbye to them both before departing to Roy's house.

---

Aiden always had money when he needed it. Of course, this money didn't come from nowhere. Instead, he'd pick up some chore, depending on the season (snow shoveling for winter, grass mowing for summer, etc), and charge people for him to do it for them. He always let the rate vary. It always depended on what it looked like the person could afford, rather than the lawn size (though it was sometimes a factor). He didn't have the heart to demand the same out of the old lady as he did the rich man.

It was summer, and so Aiden retrieved the hand push mower from the backroom of Hooligan's. He examined it before taking it out: the blades needed sharpening, and there was rust in some spots, but it would do.

Falesyia shared in this scheme with Aiden. Thus, the two of them switched turns every two hours on who got to mow lawns and who watched Gabriel. Aiden worked a lot longer than Falesyia since he was buying a more expensive present.

---

Roy, Edward, and Alphonse were lucky to have enough money for Gabriel without having to worry about mowing lawns. Roy and Edward had military jobs, and Alphonse had his share of the money his and Ed's mother left them.

Edward not only bought his present for Gabriel, but also the cake, candles, and a few birthday games. After all, he was Gabriel's father.

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Next chapter: Gabriel's birthday! You can see what everyone bought him.


	55. Chapter 55

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Notes: Apologies for posting this later than usual, of course.

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Roy arrived home early on Thursday with Gabriel's cake from the bakery. It was about an hour before the guests were due to arrive. Hawkeye was pissed about the paperwork he wasn't doing. However, after he explained to her that this was necessary not to piss off a special someone that he really thought he was in love with (plus some begging on his knees), she merely rolled her eyes and told him to have fun with the girl.

Not that Edward was a girl. Or, as Edward himself had once said, he was "naughty girl who happens to have a penis". (1)

Edward raised an eyebrow when he saw the cake decoration that Roy had chosen.

"Yes?" Roy asked, curious as to Edward's raised eyebrow. Of course, he knew why Ed was lifting an eyebrow, but he needed to have Ed say it.

"...A fish?" Edward's voice bordered disbelief. The cake was a 9x13 size, with a large fish decorating the center of it.

"So?"

"A fish??" Edward asked again. "Whatever...freak. I love you." Edward gave Roy a kiss on the cheek to show he meant it.

"Do that when Gabriel is here and he might not be as easy with it as I am." Alphonse said as he walked into the room. He looked into the pink bakery box. "Cute cake, but I didn't know Gabriel like fish."

"We don't know that he does." Edward informed Al. "Of course, he was pretty intensely into coloring the 'F for Fish' in his coloring book."

"See?" Roy insisted. "It'll be fine. Now then, I'm going to go get properly dressed. I shouldn't dress like a military dog for this."

Almost immediately after Roy was done getting ready, the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of Aiden, Gabriel, Falesyia, and Raphael. All except Gabriel were carrying gifts.

Al answered the door and encourages the four to come in. He led them into the living room, where, after they had set their gifts by the small stack, they sat down. For lack of other places to sit on the small couch, Gabriel sat on Aiden's lap. As soon as the others were seated, Alphonse left to retrieve Edward and Roy, who were having a small, frantic argument in the kitchen.

"Guests are here." Al said plainly when he walked into the kitchen.

"Al!" Edward burst out. "Help us decide! What come first: cake, games, or presents?"

"They go in that order. Now put the candles on the cake." Al said, realizing that he would have to take charge. He knew that, normally, games come before cake, but the games weren't rambunctious, so they weren't risking anyone vomiting by having cake first.

Edward did as Alphonse said. Roy rushed into the living room to shut the curtains and turn out the light. Luckily, no one was afraid of the dark.

When Roy returned to the kitchen, he found Edward and Alphonse waiting with a cake with seven unlit candles in it.

"What are you waiting for?? Light the candles!" Roy was shocked that the candles weren't lit yet. Ed and Al looked at each other and then back at Roy.

With really big eyes, Edward said, "...You said you wanted to light the candles..." Roy made a face he had never made before: an _'Aww!'_ face. It was terribly sweet of Edward to remember such a thing, and, had Roy been of "weaker" heart, he would have had to stop himself from crying.

Roy slipped on a glove and gave seven small snaps, lighting the candles.

"Come on," Roy aid, putting his arm around Edward and giving him a squeeze. "Let's go give Gabe a nice party."

Unable to stop himself, Al rolled his eyes at Roy and Ed's absolute cheesiness. Luckily, neither of the lovebirds saw him.

A little while later, Roy, Ed, and Al walked into the living room singing "Happy Birthday". Edward was holding the cake—after all, he was one of the fathers. Once the song was finished, Edward set down the cake. Gabriel took a big breath and blew out all the candles.

Once everyone had their share of cake, they played a few party games. First came Pin the Tail on the Donkey, which Falesyia won. Then they played an innocent game of Truth or Dare.

During the game, Aiden excused himself to the bathroom. After about ten minutes, Alphonse decided to check on him.

"Aiden?" Al asked softly as he knocked gently on the bathroom door.

"...Yeah?" Aiden asked.

"You okay in there?" Alphonse asked.

"Yeah, fine." Aiden said, though he didn't sound it. He sounded sad, if Al had to pin an emotion to it.

"Can I come in?"

"Yes." Aiden said. When Al walked in, Aiden was merely sitting on the rim of the bathtub with his head in his hands. "Am I a bad father?" He asked quietly.

"Why would you ask that?" Alphonse asked in return.

"Well," Aiden looked up at Al, who was relieved to see that it didn't seem as if Aiden had been crying. "I just keep thinking that if I was a better father, maybe Gabriel would have some friends his own age here..." Aiden let his eyes fall to the floor.

"That's the stupidest thought I've ever heard!" Alphonse said. Aiden looked back up at the now angry Al, who launched into a rant. "You know what is being a bad father? Sitting in here, moping. Gabriel is having fun. He's perfectly healthy, socially speaking. There is nothing you could have done to change how old his friends of choice are. Besides, Raphael is...what, eleven years old? That's close enough. Now get back out there and have fun. That's all that Gabriel needs."

Aiden was speechless. This was not at all the Alphonse he knew. He merely nodded and walked back toward the living room. Al followed him.

When Aiden walks into the living room, the first thing he heard is, "Fall in, darling?" from Falesyia. Aiden smirked at the joke but didn't answer.

"It's present time!" Gabriel demanded, since he was sick of the games.

"All right, Gabe, here's mine." Roy tossed Gabriel a rectangle box wrapped in firemen paper. It came as no surprise to anyone except Gabriel that, when the box was opened, it contained pajamas with flames as decoration.

"Cool!" Gabriel yelled, and put on the bottom half over his jeans.

He opened Raphael's next, which turned out to be a coloring book of numbers and also markers. He almost began coloring, until Edward had to remind him that it would be rude.

Next was Aiden's gift—sneakers with dinosaurs on the side. Of course, Gabriel put them on right away after taking off his other shoes. After than, Falesyia's gift—a toy pony that came with a comb to brush her hair. Gabriel decided to try to open the box later. Al's gift was a popping toy in which you push it and the balls inside popped, officially called a Corn Popper. Gabriel took a bit to push that around. Finally, Edward's gift was opened. Ed went very simple with his gift, and was slightly embarrassed due to it. Part of Edward's gift was simply clothes to wear for a few months, and the other half was a medium-sized, brown teddy bear.

Even though the teddy bear was much plainer than any of the other gifts, Gabriel squealed when he opened it. He quickly scooped it up like a mother does to her child. Edward was relieved at Gabriel's reaction; it was obvious he like the bear.

Gabriel spent the rest of the evening carrying around his bear, pushing his Corn Popper, and having the pony lay on the Corn Popper. The others simply talked about random topics.

Late in the night, Gabriel had fallen asleep on Roy's couch. This created a problem of getting him home or now. After some debate, Roy insisted that Gabriel could sleep at his house.

Of course, this meant that Al's sleeping space was taken. Thus, Alphonse joined Aiden, Falesyia, and Raphael as they left to return to Hooligan's.

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(1) Yes, that was a reference to an earlier chapter. Hehehe.

Obviously my story is officially AU. The gift Alphonse gets Gabriel didn't exist until 1957, according to Toys R Us. Apparently it's for four year olds, but we'll just say that Al didn't know that.


	56. Chapter 56

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Notes: Hello my loyal readers. Firstly, I just want to thank you for reviewing. I'm amazed that people like this story so much. :-)  
Secondly, most of you know that I usually update my story in the morning. Well, I'm probably going to start doing it in the afternoon or evening from now on.  
Due to some complications (-cough-school-cough-and-cough-homework-cough-), it would be best if I just had wrote most of the chapters during my classes and then typing it up and posting it once I get home.  
Unfortunately, this means that some of you don't get your daily update during the day. If this is the case, I would suggest waiting until the normal time you read it and then read the chapter posted the previous night. (Wow that sounded so formal. Haha.)

I love you all, and thank you. :-)

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Gabriel awoke with a start. He couldn't remember the dream that caused his alarm, but as he looked around, he realized that he didn't know where he was. His heart began to pound harder as he looked for some clue as to where he was. The house was dark, however, and he couldn't see much.

Suddenly, he remembered, thankfully. He had fallen asleep at Mr. Flame's house. So...why was he alone?

Too scared to go back to sleep alone, Gabriel stood up from the couch and began seeking a bedroom. He ran into a few walls, but luckily didn't have to look long before he saw a light coming from a room.

He slowly made his way to the lit room, and found Edward and Roy asleep in a bed. The light was coming from a lamp on the table. Fortunately for Roy and Edward, they didn't have sex that night and were both clothed.

Gabriel saw some space between the two men. He hesitated for a minute since he didn't know Mr. Flame very well, but then he crawled slowly and lightly up into the bed. Careful not to disrupt either man, Gabriel snuck all the way to the top, got his feet under the covers, and then shimmied his entire body under them.

With the body heat of Roy and Edward beside him, Gabriel fell asleep quite easily.

---

At the same time that Gabriel had woken up scared, Aiden and Alphonse had fallen asleep next to each other quite innocently. They mutually decided it was best if they refrained from doing anything sexual.

---

Roy woke up at exactly eight hours after he had fallen asleep. He was surprised to see that the body next to his was shorter than Edward's. Looking over, he saw a little mess of dark brown hair and brown skin. Immediately, Roy deduced what happened: Gabriel had come to sleep by them.

Smirking, Roy got out of the bed and walked over to Edward's side to wake him. However, at Roy's light shaking, Edward merely pushed him off and murmured nonexistent words. Roy left the two to sleep; Edward would figure out what happened when he woke up.

---

A few days afterwards, Aiden's cough began.

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Kind of jerky, I know. I didn't have a chance to fix it. I also didn't know how to introduce the last sentence. However, you must know, that sentence if very important.


	57. Chapter 57

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Notes: Well, I've heard that no one can review my last chapter. Thank you to everyone who made the effort to contact me else wise (via private message or other). :-)

I'm extremely sorry for the long wait. I have no good excuse.

I feel awful for what you are about to find out, but it was necessary, since it's been the plan since I've had a plot.  
The _italics_ are memories.

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"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to say farewell to Aiden Michael Werner..." The priest stood over Aiden's grave, though neither Alphonse nor Edward could hear him. Everyone was gathered around the mound containing Aiden's body. He couldn't afford a big funeral, so the priest was doing this ceremony out of good faith. Edward had taken to it to buy a decent coffin and headstone, at the very least. The only people to attend Aiden's funeral were Al, Ed, Roy, and everyone from Hooligan's.

"Al." Edward whispered hoarsely.

"Yeah?" Alphonse whispered back in the same hoarse voice.

"How could this happen?"

"I don't know."

"...It was just a cough." _Aiden coughed hard enough to shake his entire frame. "You okay?" Edward asked. Aiden answered with, "Yeah, it's just a cough."_

"Night sweats and fever too..." Alphonse corrected his brother. _Aiden was laying beside Alphonse late on night, and, even though the room was rather warm due to the weather, Aiden shivered and snuggled closer to Al to get heat. The pair hadn't kissed or touched each other sexually due to Aiden's condition. However, as Alphonse held onto Aiden, he found he was just fine with that._

"It—it wasn't anything major." Edward's voice quivered.

"It lasted a few months...I think it was major." Alphonse whispered. "But, I didn't think to get him a doctor. This is my fault."

"No it's not. It's mine." Edward replied stubbornly.

Roy glanced over at the brothers, who were whispering inaudibly. Suddenly, Al took a quick step back, as if he was about to start running.

"Sorry." He said throatily to the people around him, including the priest, before taking off in a dead run. Edward tried to follow his brother's example, since he was no good at funerals and had just started off in a run, but Roy caught his arm. Roy jerked Edward around to face him.

"You have a six—no, a seven-year-old to take care of. Don't you dare run." Roy whispered harshly.

Edward looked over to where Gabriel was standing by Falesyia. Oddly enough, Gabriel was sitting there with dead eyes and no tears. Quickly, Edward walked over to his son. Leaning down, he took Gabriel in a hug.

"Is Dad coming back?" Gabriel asked. Edward suppressed a sob in his throat.

"No, hun, he's not." Edward answered truthfully. Gabriel clung harder into their hug.

"But I want him to." Gabriel said. _"Dad, are you going to be okay?" Gabriel asked, looking up with worry at his coughing father. "Of course," Aiden said. He almost reached out to ruffle Gabriel's hair, but seemed to have thought better of it since he had just been coughing into his hand. Gabriel flung himself around Aiden's legs. "I love you, Dad." He said. Aiden replied, "I love you too, son."_

"Me too." Edward admitted, his voice growing hoarse again as he attempted not to cry.

---

Alphonse ran into a dark alley and, out of frustration, punched a wall hard enough to break his hand. Of course, it didn't break. He was just as strong as his immune system. The same immune system that had protected him from getting what Aiden had.

He still couldn't help thinking, as he drew back his hand to punch the wall again: _What am I doing? I've never been the violent type._

"You know, kid," a voice sounded itself from the extending darkness of the alley, "You'll break your hand that way."

"Maybe—maybe I want to." Alphonse said. His voice cracked, however, and in an instant, he started crying.

The owner of the voice, a woman with short blonde hair and a distinct red-purple tattoo on the right side of her face, neck, and shoulder, stepped out of the darkness. She looked awkward, like she didn't know what to do. However, she then squatted down and took Alphonse into a hug.

Once Al had calmed down, he asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Martel." The woman said simply. Alphonse clung closer to Martel as a fresh set of sobs hit him.

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Does everyone remember Martel? She's amazing.


	58. Chapter 58

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Notes: This chapter is infinitely short. Like...uhh...Edward, who is now screaming at me that I should leave him alone since he just lost his (ex-boy)friend.  
Anyways, short chapter. The next one might be too. Right now, I am trying to decide how to make this all work out. Of course, everyone will be sad for a while. As one reviewer put it, I am going to have to redeem myself (i.e. Make up for killing Aiden). Sorry, readers, but I might not be able to do that for a while. The boys first have to be sad for a while. Otherwise it's rather unrealistic.

I apologize to anyone I made cry yesterday. :-( I mean, I'm glad that I'm that good of a writer, but it was cruel of me to kill Aiden.

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Edward let out another sigh as he looked down at the mound of dirt that was now Aiden's home. He then slouched down even more and walked over to Roy, who was standing off to the side somewhat awkwardly.

"Let's go." Edward said softly.

"Hold on a second, Edward." Roy walked towards a few of the boys of Hooligan's—Edward took a bit and then saw it was Raphael, Falesyia, and Gabriel. They looked as if they were about to leave. Falesyia was holding onto Gabriel's hand to lead him.

Edward watched as Roy had a small chat with Falesyia. Falesyia nodded a lot. Finally, he let go of Gabriel's hand and leaned down to hug the young boy. After Gabriel and Falesyia finished hugging, Raphael gave Gabriel a hug, and then the young boy followed Roy over to Edward.

Edward looked at Roy with question in his eyes.

"You two need each other at a time like this." Roy replied to Edward's implied question. Edward simply nodded and picked Gabriel up. Though Gabriel was getting heavy, Edward still placed the boy on his hip and began to make the journey back to Roy's house.

Gabriel leaned against Edward lifelessly. He didn't fall asleep, but he remained as still and quiet as a sleeping person, provided that said sleeping person doesn't snore or talk.

Both Edward and Roy didn't even attempt to talk on the way.

Once they were home, Roy gave Gabriel and Edward the bed, and decided to sleep on the couch.

Before falling asleep, Gabriel muttered, "Daddy, I love you." He sounded like he barely knew what he had said, but Edward decided it was one of the sweetest things he could hear in this time.

He kissed Gabriel on the forehead before falling asleep himself.


	59. Chapter 59

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Notes: I'm pretty much terrified of ruining Greed. (Martel too, for that matter.) So, instead of ruining Greed, I came up with a better solution.

I HATE MY INTERNET.  
I would have posted this about an hour ago, but NO!, my internet had to decide that it doesn't want to work.

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"Come on, kid, let's get out of this dark and dank alley." Martel said. Alphonse had calmed down enough to sniffles.

"...Where'll we go?" Al asked, wiping his still moist eyes.

"I know this place." Martel said simply.

Martel led Al to the Devil's Nest. On the way inside, a few people purred nasty insults to the pair. Some people mentioned "Greed" and a "homunculus", which normally would have sparked Al's interest, but right now he couldn't bring himself to care.

When they got inside, they were instantly greeted with, "DO YOU HAVE MY MILK?? I'm Greed! I need milk! Who is this? Is he for me? I want him; I'm Greed!"

Alphonse jumped when he first hear the shouting. The owner of the voice whom said he was Greed was talking to Martel, he realized. However, he couldn't see the owner of the voice due to the weak lighting.

"No, uh, Greed, I don't have your milk. Also, no, the kid is mine." Martel replied.

"BUT I'M GREED!!" The man shouted. Alphonse's eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting now. He saw a man with hair colored every color of the rainbow, wearing what must have been five layers of outfits.

"...This is Greed, the homunculus I've been hearing about?" Al whispered to Martel. When Martel didn't answer, Al looked over at her. She had a look of annoyance and one of her eyebrows twitched.

"This is not Greed." Martel said bluntly.

"Then...who is it?" Alphonse asked, confused.

"This...is his self-declared replacement. Greed was captured by Envy and Lust, and this guy decided he would be the new Greed. Only..." Martel paused. "Greed would never behave so lowly."

By the tone of her voice, Al could tell that Martel had some pretty high respect for Greed. He would even go so far as to say that she was in love with him.

"Come on. You can rest up in the backroom's bed." Martel said. Fake Greed had been distracted by a crack in the wall while Martel and Alphonse had been talking, and was now shouting something about the crack being his, so Martel and Al snuck off quietly.

The backroom contained a very dirty mattress, but Al decided to be polite and sit on it.

"So," Martel said, sitting down. "What's the problem that you were crying in an alley?"

"My friend died." Alphonse said, studying the ground. Martel didn't get a chance to answer.

Fake Greed burst through the door and yelled, "I LOOOOOOOOVE THIS BACKROOM! IT'S MINE! I LIKE THAT BED! MINE! YOU'RE MINE TOO MARTEL!! YOUR CLOTHES ARE MINE! WOO! OH YES, AND YOUR BREASTS! THOSE ARE DEFINITELY **MINE**!" Fake Greed then left the room humming.

"Excuse me, kid; I have to beat the shit out of him." Martel said.

"Name's Alphonse." Al said. Martel nodded, and then walked out of the room and proceeded to beat up Fake Greed to a bloody pulp.

When she returned to the room, Al had fallen asleep. She smiled and decided to let him have his rest.


	60. Chapter 60

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

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Martel woke Alphonse up a few hours after he had fallen asleep. She wasn't sure if he was due somewhere, she said. She did give him the courtesy of walking him to Roy's house. Though Al feared Martel walking back alone, she told him she was a big girl and she would be fine.

When Al got inside Roy's house, he found his couch to be occupied by the owner of said house. Thus, he had to fall asleep in a chair, which was slightly uncomfortable.

---

Roy was the first to wake up among all the males. In turn, Roy's awakening awoke Al.

"I need coffee." Roy yawned, which proved his point. "You want some?"

"No. I'll just have some milk." Al replied. While Alphonse was drinking his milk and Roy his coffee, Roy told Al of his plans for the day.

"...And so, I'm taking everyone to the doctor to get tested for tuberculosis." Roy finished. Due to Roy's plans, Al remembered why it felt like there was an empty hole in him: Aiden was dead. He was dead, gone, and never coming back. This wasn't right. This wasn't how the world should work.

How was it that Roy was so calm and unfeeling? Granted, he hadn't been a friend with Aiden as Al had, but he should at least act like he cared. Maybe it was due to his military training or his experience in the war.

Alphonse slumped down on the table to hide his near-crying face. Roy didn't know how to react, so he merely focused on his coffee, though he felt bad for not knowing what to do.

Edward came down soon afterwards.

Roy told him the plans as well. Unlike he would normally react—with fear at the idea of going to a doctor—Edward merely nodded. Anyone could tell by his slumped shoulders and red eyes that he was depressed and had been crying.

After about fifteen awkward minutes of the three of them just sitting at the table, Edward made the excuse of checking on Gabriel.

He found Gabriel awake and crying silently. Quickly, he was at Gabriel's side and hugging him. Gabriel buried his face into Edward, much like Alphonse had done to Martel the previous night. Gabriel was much less hesitant to do such, however. After all, Edward was his father. The only one he had now.

Edward soon took Gabriel into his lap, and continued to hold him.

"I love you, Gabriel. You know that, right? We'll get through this." Edward found himself murmuring.

"Why'd he have to go, Daddy?" Gabriel cried in a high voice. He continued to cry pretty hard, and it was difficult for Edward to understand him, though he managed it.

"He just did. I don't know why." Edward said. He found that tears were rolling down his cheeks too. They continued to cry for a while, until finally the tears subsided to sniffles.

"You're not going to leave me, are you?" Gabriel asked, looking up at Edward with big, tear-filled, and red eyes. Edward gave a smile to comfort his son, though it was weak due to the sadness he felt.

"Of course not." Edward replied. He silently swore to himself that he would never leave Gabriel. He wouldn't be like Aiden, or...it broke his heart to think this, but he also wouldn't be like his mother. He wouldn't leave a child practically parentless in this world.

---

Alphonse and Edward had a pretty dramatic scene at the doctor's office as well. Al, Ed, Roy, and Gabriel were sitting in the waiting room in the chairs, in that order.

"Brother." Alphonse said.

"Yes?" Edward answered.

"You...we're not going to have tuberculosis, are we?" Edward looked at his brother, who had red eyes from crying, and who wore a face of heavy worry. He looked so much older than he was.

"Of course not. We can't. We have people who need us." Edward replied.

"So did Aiden. That didn't stop him." Al replied rather bitterly. Edward was shocked that Al could say such a thing, but he quickly got over it.

"I know, Al." Edward agreed. Unannounced to both of the Elrics, Roy had been listening to their conversation. He scoffed when he heard Edward agree with Alphonse.

"If either of you have tuberculosis, I'll kill you before it does." Roy said.

"That's right." Gabriel piped up beside Roy. "You're not allowed to get it."

A nurse entered the room at that point.

"Edward Elric? The doctor will see you now." She said. Roy took a hold Edward's hand when he stood up, and gave it a squeeze. Ed blushed ever so slightly and was surprised at Roy's boldness.

"Good luck." Roy said softly. Edward's surprised face set into one of determination. He nodded before letting go of Roy's hand and following the nurse.

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Hehehe. Teaser. Of course, if you factor in that I feel bad enough about killing Aiden, you can kind of figure out what happens.


	61. Chapter 61

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Notes: Well, I haven't been keeping a steady time for posting this, obviously. Thus, I'm informing you all right now: you will continue to get a chapter a day (unless otherwise noted), but the time it is posted will probably be random. I could post it at 6am one day, and 10pm the next.

Other notes: I don't know if my medical facts are correct on this, but, as I've already said, my story is AU. I don't know if they had tetanus shots nor if they thought that they were supposed to be taken every ten years. That's just they way they have it now.

Credit: You have E.Mahiru to blame for having this chapter be this way, and you have Alima8314 to blame for having each character have their own chapter on their experience with the doctor (hopefully. If they are too short, I will combine characters' chapters).

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_"Edward Elric? The doctor will see you now." She said. Roy took a hold Edward's hand when he stood up, and gave it a squeeze. Ed blushed ever so slightly and was surprised at Roy's boldness.  
"Good luck." Roy said softly. Edward's surprised face set into one of determination. He nodded before letting go of Roy's hand and following the nurse._

As Edward walked with the nurse to the examination room, he heard groaning coming from one room.

"Uhh. What's wrong with that patient?" Edward asked, feeling himself grow nervous.

"Stomach pains." The nurse said matter-of-factly.

"Right." Edward replied. He was sent into a room and was told the doctor would come soon. He sat on a chair and swung his legs. Suddenly, a rather old man entered. He looked nice enough, however.

Looking at his clipboard, the doctor asked, "Mr. Elric, when was your last tetanus shot?"  
Edward's breath caught. When he didn't speak, the doctor looked up at him. Averting his eyes, Edward mumbled under his breath, "Eleven years ago."

"Excuse me?"

"Eleven years ago." Edward said, audibly this time, but barely.

"You know you're supposed to get one every ten years?"

Edward barely nodded. He could feel his heart racing. He looked to the door quickly and then away.

"Well, I'm just going to get some tetanus solution. I just want to be sure you don't get tetanus, okay, son?"

_I'm not your son_. Edward thought bitterly. The doctor left the room. As soon as he came back, he stuck a needle into the small vile. _Shit, he's going to do that to my skin._ Edward thought while watching the needle dig into the seal.

The doctor approached Edward steadily. At the very last minute, Edward yelped, "GET AWAY FROM ME!" He ran from the room into the waiting room. Seeing Roy, he jumped into his lap and buried himself into Roy's chest.

Roy was shocked, to say the least. "Edward, what is it?"

"Shots. I hate needles." Edward whimpered. Alphonse and Gabriel watched.

"Edward." Roy said in a demanding voice that made Edward look up at him. "You have to get the shot if the doctor says. Come on, you're a big boy, right? Well...figuratively speaking..."

"HEY! DON'T CALL ME SMALLER THAN A CHILD!" Edward withdrew from Roy's chest and crossed his arms. "I'm a big boy, but you guys are all giants. Bastards." Edward paused before remembering the original problem. "Roy..." He whined. "Please don't make me get a shot."

"I'm sorry, Edward, but if the doctor says it's necessary, then I am going to have to agree with him." Roy said. "Do you want me to hold your hand?"

Edward looked up at Roy with big eyes. He felt so stupid and childish, but he still found himself fearfully whispering, "Please?"

"Okay. Come on." Roy picked Edward up and brought him back to the examination room. The doctor had actually waited for them, rather than come after Edward. Maybe he had known that Roy wouldn't let Edward leave. "He's back." Roy announced.

"Okay. Edward, do you want it in your left or right arm?"

"Left." Edward said automatically. He offered his right hand to Roy, who was standing in front of him, so he could squeeze. He was trying to be courteous so that he wouldn't twitch for the doctor, but didn't realize the problem that would cause for Roy.

"Um. Edward. There is no way you are using that hand to squeeze mine with." Roy said. Edward blushed sheepishly.

Edward took off his red coat and then lowered his jacket on his left side for the doctor.

Roy was in front of Edward, and so he took Edward's left hand with his right so that he was facing Ed. He took Edward into an intense stare, which somewhat distracted the teen. However, he still winced and squeezed when the needle went in.

"Okay, all done." The doctor said. Edward relaxed and let out a deep breathe. Roy let go of his lover's hand. He wasn't sure if he should leave or not.

"Hey, should I stay here in case he has any more issues?" Roy asked the doctor. He shot a quick smirk at Edward, who pouted at him in return. It wasn't his fault he hated shots.

"Of course, of course, just sit down over there." The doctor said, brushing Roy off.

The doctor then checked Edward's lungs with his stethoscope on his front and back. He said something about checking for cracks and fluid and lungs. He also checked Edward's lymph nodes on his neck.

Afterwards, the doctor declared that Edward did not have tuberculosis and asked the nurse for Alphonse Elric to be sent in.


	62. Chapter 62

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

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"Alphonse Elric?" The nurse called out. Roy and Edward entered the waiting room from behind her. Edward looked ashamed and fearful, probably due to his fear of needles and the contact he just had with them. He looked like a child next to Roy—the slouching made him look shorter.

Alphonse stood up, hesitating for a while. He had to take a moment to remind himself of all the safety procedures that they had gone through to avoid getting tuberculosis from Aiden. As soon as Aiden had developed a cough, they stopped kissing and sleeping in the same bed. The boys had tried to protect Gabriel as well. On Aiden's instruction, Gabriel was moved into a room down the hallway. It was especially sweet of Aiden to be so concerned. After Alphonse had reminded himself of all this, he approached the nurse.

"Alphonse?" She asked, and Al nodded.

Al experienced the same basic procedure as Edward had, except he didn't freak out over the shot he also had to get. He was found not to have tuberculosis either.

When Al got out of the examination room, he rolled up the sleeve of his short-sleeved shirt to show Edward the adhesive bandage.

"Look, Edward, I'm a big boy!" He exclaimed, teasing Edward.

"Shut up! Don't mock your bigger brother!" Edward yelled, tensing in his chair and balling his hands into fists.

"...Figuratively speaking." Roy added because he couldn't resist. "Technically speaking, you're the smaller brother."

Roy then completed the insult with a smirk.

"I don't have to sit here and take this!" Edward yelled. "Come on, Gabriel, let's go." He told Gabriel to come at last minute, probably out of some parental instinct.

Gabriel had leapt up and they were both headed towards the door, hand-in-hand, with their backs to Roy and Al, when Roy said, "Oh, that's a brilliant idea, Edward. And what are you going to do if he gets tuberculosis and dies on you?" Edward froze with his hand on the door. Perhaps it was association with the word, as with someone who scratches their head at the mention of lice, but at that moment, Gabriel coughed.

A shiver ran throughout Edward's body and he gave a bitter laugh. "You're right." He said, addressing Roy. Edward turned to Gabriel, getting down on one knee and dropping the boy's hand to put his hands on Gabriel's shoulders. "Gabriel, I'm just going to go into the bathroom and calm down, okay? I'll be right back; Roy will take care of you."

Gabriel didn't know what to say. His father was acting weird. He just nodded.

While Gabriel headed to his seat, Edward walked into the bathroom. He didn't know why he was in here, of all places.

Then he saw the mirror. It was a single-person mirror, rather than the big ones that were occupying some bathrooms.

Edward held back in force, but he punched the mirror with his flesh hand hard enough that it broke.

Somehow, the mirror held in place, so Edward simply clapped his hands and transmuted the mirror back to normal.

Still, he wasn't satisfied, and punched the mirror again. This time, however, he punched harder, and the mirror shattered and several pieces fell. When Edward looked at his flesh hand, he noticed it was bleeding.

"Damn it." Edward muttered. He sank into a corner between the sink and the wall, and continued to stare at the blood, stunned. _Human flesh is so weak._

Due to Edward being gone so long, Roy came into the room to check on him.

"Hey, Edward, are you o—." Roy spotted Edward sitting in the corner. "—kay...?"

"Look at this." Edward said, holding out his bleeding knuckles. "_Look at this._ This is how weak human flesh is. This is how weak and pathetic humans are. We are _weak_. WEAK. Flesh is weak, we are weak, and Aiden was weak. That's why he's dead, damn it! HE'S DEAD BECAUSE HE'S WEAK!" Edward yelled. The employees of the doctor's office probably hated him by now with all his noise, but he didn't care.

Edward finally gave into the tears that were flowing down his cheeks. He started sobbing.

"Oh...oh, Edward." Roy kneeled down and took the teen in his arms. Edward continued to sob, mumbling something about humans being weak. Roy kissed Edward's hair and forehead—sweet, simple kisses that seemed slightly desperate, but the situation was to blame for that.

When he thought Edward was more stable, Roy spoke, "Ed, you know I love you. You're not weak. You're strong. Right now, a certain son of yours needs you to be strong. I know you can do it." Edward wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his red jacket.

"I don't know if I can." He said softly.

"I know you can. You're Edward Elric—Hero of The People—The Alchemic Prodigy That Joined the Military at the Age of Twelve. You have more determination and strength than most of the people in this world. There is no way you can stop being strong now." Roy ended his speech.

"...I'll try." Edward said and stood up.

"Good. It's time for Gabe's examination. I went through mine while we though you were simply going to the bathroom. I'm clear." Roy said.

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A/N: You know...I almost had Edward cut himself with the glass to prove that flesh was weak, but then changed my mind. Good thing, too. I don't think Edward would be the sort, even if he were upset.

Credits: I have Alima8314 to thank for putting the idea of breaking a mirror in my head. She didn't mean to though. :-)


	63. Chapter 63

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Notes: I changed one word in the last chapter, if you care. Roy called Gabriel by his name, so I changed it to "Gabe". I also added some credit where it was due.

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"We should clean your ...injury." Roy said as Edward reached for the door to exit the bathroom. Edward looked down at his hand and nodded.

Roy took Edward's flesh arm by the wrist and dragged him back to the sink. He turned on the cold water and stuck Ed's hand under the running stream. After a minute, he took out Ed's hand.

"Hmm." Roy looked at Edward's hand closely. Luckily, the bleeding had stopped. After careful examination, he found merely one small shard of glass. "Edward." He looked up, straight into his boyfriend's eyes. "This may hurt a bit. Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do." Edward said. Roy nodded and looked back at the hand. Using the nails of his thumbs, he squeezed around the glass so that it slid out onto one nail. Quickly, he put that nail under the still running water. The glass quickly washed down the drain, but neither Roy or Edward saw it. After a bit, Roy figured that the glass had to be off his fingernail by now, and so he turned off the water and dried his hands.

Edward's knuckle was bleeding a bit where the glass had to be pinched out. Roy simply dabbed it with a paper towel, and it stopped enough to know that the blood would clot soon.

Again, Edward reached for the door handle, but managed to get out of the bathroom before Roy said something.

"You know, you're going to have seven years bad luck now." Edward rolled his eyes to Roy's statement.

"Oh, come on. You're an alchemist, and alchemists are scientists. I would hope you'd know better than to believe such a thing." Edward stated. "There is nothing scientific in the belief of bad luck."

Whatever Roy wanted to say got caught in his throat due to the scene they walked into when they turned the corner into the waiting room.

"NOOOO!" Gabriel cried out. He was in a seemingly life-or-death struggle between the chair and Alphonse. He was determined to remain attached to the chair.

When Gabriel saw that Edward and Roy had returned, he jerked free of Al's grasp and ran to Edward. He clung to Edward's legs. "Daddy...they want to give me a shot. I don't want a shot."

"Hey now, it'll be okay. How about if I let you squeeze my hand, like Roy let me do?" Edward offered.

Gabriel still looked scared, but he nodded in agreement. He then looked up at Roy. "Mr. Flame too."

"You want him to hold your hand?" Edward asked. Gabriel nodded, smiling. This was his way of showing that Roy was accepted.

Gabriel did tear up a little while getting the shot, but he withstood it. He hardly squeezed either Roy or Edward's hands. After all, he was a big boy.

The doctor quickly checked Gabriel's lungs for cracks or liquid and proclaimed them clean. He then said that if that was all there was to this group, they should leave an address to bill at the front desk.

The nurse led Roy, Gabriel, and Edward out to the waiting room. On the way, she asked Roy, "So, are you this boy's father?"

"Actually," Edward said before Roy could even utter a syllable, "Unofficially, I am this boy's father."

The nurse's eyes grew widen, but then she blushed and walked them silently to the waiting room. There was no doubt what she was thinking: illicit child. Edward simply smirked. Let her think what she wants.

Roy went to the front desk and gave the secretary his address, and they left immediately afterwards.

On the way to Roy's house, Edward decided to bring up an issue that he had been thinking for a while now. "Hey, Roy? Where are Gabriel and Al going to sleep?"

Roy paused before finally answering, "Well...let's just say we've got a lot of work for us to do tonight, so it's a good thing that we are all healthy."

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A/N: Ooh, what is Roy planning? Hehe.


	64. Chapter 64

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Notes: I changed a sentence in the last chapter. Thanks to "From the Psyche Ward" for pointing out how awkward the sentence was. It is the sentence(s) about the glass sliding off Roy's fingernail into the drain. It's really not important to go look at it, but I thought I should tell the readers and also give some credit to my helper. :-)

Remember: I have power of the author.

Sorry, this is extremely late! It's even a day late for some of you, which means that some of you will be getting two in one day.

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"Holy shit, Roy." Edward said, his mouth hanging open.

"I know." Roy replied.

"It's...oh my goodness." Al said.

"I know." Roy replied again.

"Wow!" Gabriel gasped.

"I know..."

"How do you even..." Edward trailed off, unable to finish.

"Well...I just...I don't know..." Roy said.

The four males found themselves standing in the doorway of an extremely crowded backroom. Roy had warned the three younger boys that the room would be stuffed, but they could never imagine such a scene. The only place a person could stand was the path that the door swung open on. Every place else was full of something—dressers, chairs, boxes, and even a full-sized table!

"Good thing the light works." Alphonse pointed out. The light bulb was in the middle of the room, and there was no way anyone could reach it if it was burnt out. There were either no windows or the windows were covered up.

"Mr. Flame...how are we going to get the stuff out of here?" Gabriel asked.

"I have no idea, Gabe." Roy said. He continued, addressing Gabriel, Al and Ed: "I say we drag random stuff out and place it on the lawn."

"Good idea." Edward said.

They began with the chairs on top of the table. Next went the table. That seemed to clear up some space. However, the room was still very full. Thus, onward they continued. Gabriel helped when he could. They found the dressers to be full of stuff—political magazines, pillows, blankets, and cards from old girlfriends. Due to this, they had to remove the drawers of the dressers. Gabriel and Alphonse cared the drawers while Roy and Edward struggled to carry the heavy structure of the dresser.

Finally, all that was left was the boxes.

Gabriel was lifting up one of the boxes when a magazine slid out of it. He set the box down and picked up the magazine. His eyes bulged when he looked inside and saw some nude pictures of women and men in certain positions.

"DADDY!" Gabriel cried out. He ran up to Edward, who was on the other side of the bedroom. Gabriel was holding the magazine quite openly and so Edward immediately knew what was in the magazine. "Daddy, what are they doing?"

Edward didn't know how to respond. He blushed heavily and took the magazine from Gabriel. "Well...uh...you see...uh..."

"It looks like he's fucking her." Gabriel said very plainly.

"Gabriel!!" Edward burst out. "Don't use that type of language! Where did you even learn such a thing?"

It was Gabriel's turn to blush. He knew he had said something wrong. "Well...you remember when we had the guy with the mohawk stay at Hooligan's?"

"Yes." Edward could sense what was coming already. Of course he remembered the guy with the mohawk. The kid had his hair spiked up about four inches and dyed red. He claimed he was a run away and needed a place to crash. It was more like a place to have sex with his girlfriend. Both Aiden and Edward had woken up to her loudly moaning like her life depended on it.

In the morning, they had both confronted the kid and promptly kicked him out for his girlfriend's rudeness and his own lying about why he was there. Later, Aiden and Edward had found out that everyone in the house at the time had heard her.

"Well...before you and Dad woke up, I heard her and went to check what was wrong. She sounded like she was in pain. When I walked in, they were doing that"—Gabriel pointed to the magazine—"and the guy told me to get out because he was fucking his girlfriend. Are you mad, Daddy?"

Gabriel looked at Edward, who looked quite angry. He wasn't made at Gabriel, though; he was made at the kid. Gabriel had been _five-years-old_ when the incident had occurred. He shouldn't have had to find out about stuff like that at that age.

"Of course I'm not mad at you, Gabriel." Edward said, smiling at Gabriel. "I have to talk to Roy, however. If you find any more magazines like this, please throw them away."

Edward walked out to the yard, where Roy was sitting down and sorting his stuff into piles, depending on if he wanted them or not.

"What the hell is this?" Edward asked, standing over Roy. Roy looked up innocently. When he saw the magazine, he began to choke on his own spit. After some coughing, he finally answered Edward.

"It's nothing."

"Yeah, it's a nothing that Gabriel just happened to find." Edward replied.

"Give it here." Roy said. Edward hesitated, but handed it over. Roy quickly put on one of his gloves, snapped, and burned the magazine to a crisp. "There. Now he can't find it again."

"...Are you going to burn his brain too so he doesn't remember finding it?" Edward snapped.

"Good idea." Roy stood up and made to stalk off. Edward grabbed a hold of Roy's sleeve and jerked it. Roy instantly swung around and kissed the teenager. Edward kissed back a bit before pulling away.

"Someone's going to see us." Edward muttered, apologetically. He didn't want Roy to lose his job in the military for him. I never had this problem with Aiden... Edward had no idea where the thought came from. However, as soon as he thought it, he grew depressed. His shoulders sagged and his head bowed. Roy guessed what Edward was thinking about and took the boy into his arms.

A few moments later, Alphonse burst through the door of the house and shouted out, "Guess what! There were two mattresses lining the walls!!"

When he saw Roy and Edward, he stopped himself immediately. He realized that he was intruding on an intimate scene.

Credit to Edward, however, who pulled himself together and stepped away from Roy. He smiled at Al. "That's great!"

Roy had forgotten that there were old mattresses of his in the room that they were cleaning out.

Later that evening, Roy had decided that he didn't need most of the stuff in the dresser. Using the table, the dresser, and the dresser's drawers, Edward managed to transmute two solid bed frames. They didn't look the best, but they would do.

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Did you remember my power of the author? That's right--I used it to modify Roy's house. Hehehe.


	65. Chapter 65

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

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Roy was going through the many documents he had on his desk when he heard a knock on his office door.

"Come in." He said, not looking up. Once the visitor entered, Roy quickly glanced up to see it was Havoc, but then returned to his papers. Hawkeye had threatened him again, and he thought that she might actually shoot him this time. "Yes?"

"I drove by your house the other day." Havoc told Roy calmly. Roy knitted his brow in confusion. He didn't understand how this was important.

"Yeah?" Roy asked.

"Yeah, and I saw a certain sixteen-year-old alchemist accompanying you in your front yard." Havoc said. Roy's body tensed up. _How could we be so stupid? Shit! Shit shit shit! Why didn't we drag the stuff to the back yard?! And what the fuck could he have possibly seen us doing?! ...Oh shit. We kissed. ON THE FRONT LAWN! How stupid am I???_

"Is that so?" Roy replied, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Yes, _sir._" Havoc said, more spitefully than was necessary. Roy finally looked up. He tented his fingers and placed his chin upon them.

"What did you see, exactly?" Roy asked, almost hostilely. He tried to remain professional, though he was finding that putting on such a facade was difficult. Havoc took a step closer to the desk.

"Oh, just him..."—Havoc leaned in, closing some of the distance between Roy and himself—"being _embraced_ in your arms." Havoc made sure to put emphasis on the most important word in the sentence. He had seen the two men holding each other, and it was quite clear that they were acting as more than just co-workers. Roy could tell that he knew this.

Roy acted like a frightened animal. He pushed his chair away from the table so fast that it almost slammed into the wall behind him. He quickly leapt out of the chair and turned his back to Havoc to look out the window.

"Havoc, I want you to forget what you saw the other day. It's irrelevant to your job and should not affect your work." Roy said in a serious, all-work-no-play tone of voice.

"Sir. I realize it is irrelevant to my job, but it is not to your own. It is not my business what you do with your personal time. I've already sworn my loyalty to you, and it is because of my loyalty that I am telling you this: others will not be as willing to turn their backs as I am. You could lose your job for this. Besides," Havoc took out a cigarette and lit it. "If you are with FullMetal, I can keep my girlfriend."

"Dismissed, Havoc." Roy said. Havoc saw the reflection of Roy's smile in the glass, and felt relieved. For a few seconds, he thought he had offended the colonel. Havoc saluted Roy and exited the office room.

As soon as Havoc left, Roy gave in to his mix of emotions. On one hand, he was glad that Havoc was remaining loyal to him. On the other, Havoc was right: FullMetal and himself could be caught in their relationship. Roy sank into his chair and laid his head down on the desk to think. That didn't last long—he fell asleep.

---

Edward was practically climbing the walls with anxiety when Roy finally arrived home. He was an hour late.

"Where have you been??" Edward practically yelled with worry. Roy yawned.

"I fell asleep at work." Roy replied.

"Oh, _that's_ mature." Edward rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Listen..." Roy told Edward what Havoc had said in his office that morning.

"Actually, I'm surprised no one knew sooner." Edward said when Roy was finally done. "We've been dating for months now, and yet no one knew, excluding Alphonse and Gabriel."

Roy sighed. "I know. It's a good thing, otherwise I might lose my job." He paused a moment before asking, "Where are Al and Gabe anyways?"

"They went to visit Hooligan's to see how everyone and everything was holding up around there." Edward said. He had a hint of sadness in his voice, and it wasn't hard to figure out why—Hooligan's had been Aiden's home.

"Well, good. Maybe we need sometime to ourselves." Roy said. He removed his coat and led Edward to the couch in the living room, where they spent the rest of the evening cuddling.

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A/N: For those who were hoping they'd have sex...well...come on. Edward was just thinking about how his ...friend died. I don't think that would make him horny. If it did...actually, let's not go there.


	66. Chapter 66

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

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Alphonse and Gabriel approached the building that had once been the latter's home. Alphonse felt awkward, but apparently Gabriel didn't; he walked right into the house. Immediately Gabriel bound up the stairs to Aiden's and his old room.

Alphonse decided to let him go. There were some new people in the living room. When Al got closer, he could see that only one person was new—the other he knew from the day of Aiden's funeral. The only problem was that he didn't remember her name. Falesyia, Raphael, the girl, and a male who Al didn't know were all sitting in a circle in the living room. Falesyia was the first to notice Al.

"Hey, darling." Falesyia greeted Al. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just came to see how everything was around here...since, well, you know." Al said. Falesyia nodded to show he knew Al was talking about Aiden's death.

"Things are okay. Not the same, but everything is holding up." He paused for a second. "Oh! Dear, this is"—Falesyia pointed to the brown-haired male whom Al hadn't known—"Kyle and this is"—Falesyia pointed to the girl—"Martel."

_Oh yeah. Martel, that was her name._ Al thought.

"Hey again." Martel said to Al. For some reason, Al found himself blushing.

"Hey." Al replied.

"You two know each other?" Raphael asked.

"Yeah. We've met once." Martel said simply. It was clear she wasn't going to elaborate. Al sat down next to her.

"So what's the deal? I thought you were staying at that other place?" He asked her quietly.

"I was. That guy who was trying to be the new Greed keep hitting on me, and so I cut off what every male considers a very important part." Martel whispered back. She winked, confirming Al's suspicions that she was talking about his penis.

"...Remind me never to piss you off." Al said. Martel smirked.

"You're all right, kid." She flung an arm around his shoulders and gave a squeeze. However, she let it remain there. She let it remain there when her and Al joined the main conversation. She let it remain there the whole time Al was at Hooligan's.

Not that Al minded in the least.

---

Gabriel ran up to Aiden's and his old room immediately. However, when he opened the door, he found the room occupied.

"Who are you?" He asked the male and female. Both the male and female had black hair and blue eyes, and looked around his age.

"I'm Derek." The male said.

The female answered afterwards with, "I'm Samantha."

"We're twins." The two said at the same time.

Gabriel bonded with the two very quickly.

---

"They're so cool!" Gabriel said, bouncing as he walked with Alphonse back to Roy's house. Alphonse smiled down at the boy.

"So you told me."

"Mhm. We should go back more often." Gabriel said. A little later, Gabriel recalled the reason that the bedroom was open for the twins. He had been walking faster that Al, and so he looked back at Al when he said, "I miss Dad."

Al paused for only a second before answering, "Me too."

The rest of the walk back was quite silent, excluding outsiders' noises and nature's noises.


	67. Chapter 67

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

Notes: Breda fans are going to hate me for this chapter. He seems the one that would have the most objections though, so he is the chosen one. He's obviously OOC, since no one knows how he would actually react to such a situation. This will make sense when you get to a certain part of the chapter.

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Roy stood up in front of his subordinates. He cleared his throat again and blushed when everyone looked up. Why was he so nervous?

"Well, if everybody's here..." He started. "I called this meeting to bring it to attention that one of us has suffered a loss." This was nothing unusual; Roy usually called meetings if someone had someone close to them die. This was so that others were careful to be polite around the person.

"Recently, FullMetal has lost a very close friend." Everyone looked at Edward near the end of the table that Roy was at. Edward blushed, both out of embarrassment and shame, and ducked his head down.

"_Thus_," Roy continued, bringing the others' attention to him again. "I would appreciate it if you all would be respectful to E—FullMetal during this time of suffering. I, uh...I would also like to inform you of a new relationship I'm in."

"Another girl you'll dump in a week. Why bother, sir?" Breda asked.

"Well...not this time. I've been dating this, uh...person for a few months now, actually." Mustang said. He could feel the sweat soaking through his coat. He took a quick glance at Edward, who had his head down now, trying to hide.

_Damn it, Edward. You're not allowed to hide. You're the one that demanded I tell everyone last night. It's your own fault._ Roy thought.

Edward, meanwhile, was remembering the night before last night, when Gabriel had told him about his friends. _"And they're seven-years-old just like me! Oh! And they have these shocking blue eyes! Plus they are twins! Isn't that cool?" Gabriel asked Edward. Edward smiled at the boy and said, "Yes, that is very cool."_

Edward stopped remembering and returned to the present. Roy still had to say anything.

"Well, what's the name?" Hawkeye asked, trying to help Roy. She didn't realize that this made Roy all the more nervous.

"...Edward." Roy whispered in a very quiet voice. Neither Fuery nor Falman heard Roy. Hawkeye heard him but didn't believe it. Edward, of course, already knew it, and Havoc had obviously suspected it.

It was Breda that had the most noticeable outburst. He slammed his hands on the table and stood up fast enough to knock over his chair. He gave Roy a glare before saying, "That's disgusting!"

Breda then made to walk to the door.

"SIT DOWN, SECOND LIEUTENANT!" Roy demanded. "That's an order!"

Breda sat down, but he was clearly not happy about it. He crossed his arms and looked at Roy with a look that said he had no respect of the man.

"As I was about to say, any personal comments can be brought to me, personally. See how that works? This news should not affect your work, nor will it affect mine. If I can keep my love life and work separate, I expect you to do the same." Breda grumbled something under his breath. "What was that, Breda?"

"Well, sir." Breda's voice was dripped with sarcastic politeness. "Since you are dating a subordinate, doesn't that mean you can't keep your work life and love life separate? Isn't that...oh I don't know...merging the two?"

Roy glared at Breda. Clearly a private conversation was not going to happen. "No, Breda. It's not. We will remain appropriate at the office, just as I would expect anyone else to."

"Oh, but sir, isn't interoffice dating not allowed?" Breda asked in the sarcastically polite voice.

"If you'll read your handbook, you'll notice that there is a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy in effect."

"You just violated the 'don't tell' bit though, didn't you?" Breda asked. Roy strolled up to his subordinate.

"You misunderstand me, Breda." Roy leaned in. "I'm saying that _you_ are not to violate the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. Otherwise," Roy snapped his fingers, and a paper in front of Breda caught on fire. Roy slammed down his hand on the fire with a loud bang to put it out and then said, "Oh my. What ever happened there?" Roy smirked. "Got it?"

Breda narrowed his eyes at his superior. "I got it."

"Good." Roy said simply. He stood up straight and gave a broad swoop of the room with his eyes. "Anyone else have any problems with the relationship?" No one dared to raise their hand. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my office."

Roy left the room.

"Wait. I'm confused. Who is the Colonel dating?" Fuery asked innocently. Edward, who still had his head down, hiding his face, raised his hand. "...Oh." Fuery said. "Breda, you're a dick."

"You better watch it, small man!" Breda turned all his anger on Fuery. "I happen to think homosexuality is fucking disgusting and wrong!"

At this point, Edward decided he wanted to leave, but he knew that doing so would draw too much attention to him.

"Well, show your superior some respect, at least!" Hawkeye yelled. She was furious. Roy was a good man, and why should it matter if he was in a relationship with another man? It didn't change who he was as a person.

"Why should I?? He's a goddamn homosexual!" Breda yelled back at Hawkeye.

"You need to relax." Havoc said, lighting up a cigarette.

"Put that death stick out." Hawkeye said. Havoc sighed and put his cigarette out on the bottom of his shoe.

"I mean it though, Breda. The relationship isn't really affecting you...why not just let them be?" Havoc said.

"It does too affect me! Now I have sit at work with the two of them and wonder if they rammed each other last night." Breda suddenly turned in Edward's direction, and Edward quickly pretended to be fascinated with the carpet. "Hey. Hey, Edward." Face red with embarrassment, Edward looked up. "How does it feel to have the Colonel's hard dick in your ass?"

Edward's embarrassment quickly turned to anger at that remark. He jumped out of his chair. "GO FUCK YOURSELF! YOU'RE A FUCKING JACKASS, YOU KNOW THAT? GO TO HELL!" Edward strolled around the table in a way so that he'd have to pass Breda if he was leaving. As he was passing, he paused for a split second to whisper into Breda's ear, "And for your information, it feels absolutely wonderful."

The man gagged loudly, which told he was disgusted, which made Edward smile just a little bit. He couldn't help it; he was pleased with himself.

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Hehe. Don't worry, we'll win Breda over. :-)


	68. Chapter 68

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd with a parental complex, both subtle and being shoved down your throat. There is angst in basically every character except my six-year-old OC; it's kind of insane. There is so much OOC-ness that it's unbelievable. You have to be careful or it will eat your soul. Literally.

----------------------------------------------------

Edward basically stomped out of the meeting room. From there, he had to make a decision: to go to Roy's office or to leave.

Ed decided it would be best to check up on Roy.

As usual, Edward entered Roy's office without knocking. Roy's chair was facing towards the window, away from the door. Roy obviously had to be in the chair.

"You should just fire that asshole." Edward said. He heard a sigh from the chair.

"I can't 'fire' him, Edward." Roy replied. "I could discharge him, but for what? The military is okay with homophobia."

"He disrespected his superior." Edward sat down in one of the two chairs in front of Roy's desk. As soon as Roy heard Edward sit down, he turned his chair around to face the teen. "Hey, wait a minute." Edward took a minute to think. "He disrespected me, and I'm his superior. Couldn't I have him discharged?"

Roy sighed again. "Edward, I know you're not that immature."

"You didn't hear what he said to me." Edward said.

"What did he say?" Roy asked.

" 'How does it feel to have the Colonel's hard dick in your ass?'" Edward quoted, doing a poor impression of Breda's voice.

"...And what did you say?"

"I told him it felt wonderful. What was I suppose to say? Honesty is the best route, right?" One look at Edward told Roy that his lover was not joking. He started chuckling.

"Oh, Edward." Roy finally said. "That might have just made things worse."

"I don't care." Edward retorted. "He's an asshole."

Edward crossed his arms, and Roy could not help but think, _Oh my stubborn lover_.

A few seconds of silence later, there was a knock on the door.

"Enter!" Roy said. Hawkeye came into the room, set down a pile of paperwork on Roy's desk, and saluted. "At ease." Roy told her. She put her right arm down from the salute. "Now then, what is it?"

"Sir." Hawkeye said. "I would just like to say that I, personally, am fine with your and FullMetal's relationship. Please forgive this next statement, but announcing it to us like that was probably not the best idea. You're rather lucky that only Second Lieutenant Breda had a problem with it."

"I suppose." Roy said. "It would have been better if I had seen it coming like that."

"Of course, sir. You handled it as best as you could, considering the situation." Hawkeye replied.

"What is the Second Lieutenant doing now?" Roy asked.

"Fuery is talking to him about the situation." Hawkeye replied.

"Thank you, Hawkeye. Is that all?"

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed, First Lieutenant." Roy said. Hawkeye saluted and left the room.

"Well, how about that?" Edward said once Hawkeye was gone.

"How about what?" Roy asked.

"Fuery is talking to Breda. This should be good. Fuery's better with animals, so he might try to explain it in terms of animals. Hopefully he remembers that Breda is afraid of dogs." Edward said. Roy nodded.

"Let's just hope he gets through to him."


	69. Chapter 69

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd. Parental complexes (both subtle and being shoved down your throat). Angst. Lots of OOC-ness. If you don't know all this by now...where have you been? Did you just skip ahead? Haha.

Notes: Um, after writing the second thing that Breda says in this chapter, I literally want to kill him. I thought you might need a warning.

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Fuery watched Edward exit the room before turning back to Breda.

"That wasn't rude at all!" Fuery said sarcastically. He scowled at Breda.

"He's a homosexual too. Sick." Breda replied, acting as if that was a good excuse for his actions.

"He's also your superior, Breda." Hawkeye reminded the man.

"I'm not scared of a short faggot." Breda said. Hawkeye pulled out her gun and cocked it.

"Cut the insults out right now. I'm going to go check up on Mustang and FullMetal. I better not hear any more insults directed at them." Hawkeye shot Breda a glare before leaving the room.

"What the heck is your problem with gay people anyway?" Fuery asked once Hawkeye was gone.

"I told you already—it's disgusting." Breda said, turning his attention back to Fuery. "How can you _not_ think that?"

Fuery shrugged. "He's still the same man to me. Now we just know one of his secrets."

"Oh my...Okay, picture this: Mustang is alone with Elric. Suddenly his dick gets hard. So he pulls off Elric's pants and shoves his dick into Elric's asshole. How gross is that? No human is supposed to even _think_ of doing that!" Breda gagged to illustrate his point. "The worst part is that they _like_ it."

"The thing is that you are thinking too much about this. The same story could go for a man and a woman, except that with the woman...it's a, um, different opening." Fuery's face had gone bright red as he attempted to finish the sentence.

"Exactly. Women don't shit out of their 'opening', as you put it." Breda said.

"Please tell me that's not your big problem with this..." Fuery said.

"Of course it is!"

"That's it? It's not religious reasons or that they choose to be gay and shouldn't? All that bugs you is the sex?" Fuery asked in disbelief.

"That's most of it. I don't like watching guys kissing either. Nor how they talk like idiots." Breda paused to bring up his hand and make his wrist go limp: 'Like, that purse is just _fabulous_!'" Breda imitated a stereotypical gay guy.

"Not all gay guys are like that..." Fuery said.

"Enough of them are that they've convinced me that they all are." Breda stated.

"The Colonel isn't." Fuery argued.

"It's only a matter of time." Breda retorted. Fuery huffed angrily.

"I don't mean to interrupt," Falman said, though he was clearly interrupting. The entire argument he had been sitting silently in the corner of the table. "If you were listening, the Colonel said he has been dating FullMetal for months. If you would also take note, he was not talking in the way you described."

"Yeah, well. Maybe he just takes a bit longer than most to get that way." Breda said.

"We'll make you a deal." Fuery said.

"Oh man. Do tell." Breda said.

"Until the Colonel starts to talk like that, you show him some respect. As soon as he starts talking like that, be as disrespectful as you would like." Fuery said. He was sure the Colonel wouldn't ever talk like that, or he was hoping with all his might. "You can just pretend he's straight like you."

"Why should I agree to this?" Breda asked.

"It might save you your job." Fuery said. Breda rolled his eyes.

"Fine. I'll do it, but if he starts talking like that or if I see him and FullMetal kissing, I'm not going to give them any respect." Breda stood up and left the room.

Fuery sighed.

"You better hope the Colonel is as predictable as you take him to be." Falman said.

"I know." Fuery replied.

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A/N: I'm not entirely sure if I like how this goes, but it's better than I had it at first.

Also, **no update tomorrow**, since it's Christmas. I would like to note that there **will** be a new story posted tomorrow, done for a challenge. It's about Trisha, Izumi, Ed, and Al.


	70. Chapter 70

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd. Parental complexes (both subtle and being shoved down your throat). Angst. Lots of OOC-ness. If you don't know all this by now...where have you been? Did you just skip ahead? Haha.

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"WE'RE ALIVE!" Edward shouted as he burst through Roy's front door with Roy close behind him.

Alphonse and Gabriel came running from their room.

"How'd it go?" They asked at once. Roy sighed heavily, took off his coat, and went to make some coffee.

"Pretty good, actually." Edward said as the two teens and child watched Roy leave the room. "Only Breda had a problem with it, and apparently Fuery made a deal with him. As long as Roy doesn't start talking like...uh...like...in a way that Breda doesn't like, then Breda will just pretend that Roy is a straight man."

"Um...Hey, Gabriel, go make Roy give you some chocolate milk, okay?" Alphonse suggested. Gabriel made a confused face but still headed in the direction of the kitchen. "...I still can't believe that kid doesn't like white milk." Al said.

"Heehee. He's like me." Edward said, grinning.

"Uh-huh. Now, do tell: what is the deal that Breda made?"

"He said that as long as Roy doesn't start talking like Falesyia, then he won't report Roy or anything. As long as Roy acts straight, it's okay." Edward said.

"If he flirted with a few women, then it would go even easier." Alphonse suggested without thinking and while looking back to check if anyone was behind him. He looked at Edward to find his brother scowling and his arms crossed.

"...I. Don't. Think. That's. A. Very. Good. Idea." Edward said very slowly. Alphonse nodded.

"I didn't mean it." Al said in a very small voice.

"You better not have." Edward said. "Now, I'm starving. Let's force Roy to give us supper."

Roy slaved over a hot stove to make the boys soup from a can. Once they were done eating, Gabriel wanted to play, and Alphonse went to join him, which left Roy and Edward alone.

Roy stood up to start clearing the tables, but Edward stopping him.

"Just stay seated. I'll get this." Edward said. Roy did as he was told. Once Edward had the dishes cleared up, he crawled onto Roy's lap and straddled him. "Today sucked." Edward stated. Roy sighed.

"That it did." Roy said.

"What do you say I make it better for you and you make it better for me?" Edward asked. He leaned in and kissed Roy. Roy kissed back firmly.

"Sounds like a plan." Roy answered when the two stopped kissing to take a fresh breath. "However," Roy stood up, while picking Edward up and setting him standing on the ground. "Let's wait until the others are asleep."

Edward pouted. "I suppose..."

Roy leaned down and gave Edward's neck a small lick, which caused the teen to moan. "Okay." Edward said immediately. After all, it was better to wait than to not get it at all.

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**Notes:** I really don't think I can pull out two chapters today due to being sick (it's just a cold, but I think it's killing me). :-(

**We'll make a deal:** lemon tomorrow and we're even. Deal? (I feel bad about not posting a chapter and not giving notice. I really thought I would be home to write by the end of the day, and it didn't happen.)

**For my readers who don't like lemons:** give me some suggestions in your review about how I can make my wrongdoing up to you. :-)


	71. Chapter 71

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd. Parental complexes (both subtle and being shoved down your throat). Angst. Lots of OOC-ness. If you don't know all this by now...where have you been? Did you just skip ahead? Haha.

**Warning:** This chapter is _M-Rated_. If you do not want to read it, skip this chapter and resume reading when I post the next chapter. This lemon is _optional_ and completely _your_ choice to read. Any flames claiming else wise or saying you weren't efficiently warned will be **IGNORED** or **FLAMED RIGHT BACK**.

This might be slightly more limey than lemony. Sorry about that. :-/

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Roy and Edward waited patiently and spent the night reading. Alphonse finally came out and told the two that Gabriel and him were beat and that they were going to sleep.

Edward tucked Gabriel in and then went up to his and Roy's room, where he found Roy already waiting—well, sort of. Roy was sitting in the bed, innocently reading a newspaper and acting as if he had no idea what Edward had in mind. He was still wearing his white shirt and blue uniform pants.

Roy looked up when Edward entered the room. "Hello, Edward." He said, and returned to his newspaper. Ed walked calmly over to the man and ripped the newspaper out his hands.

"No reading. I've got something better than reading." Edward said, and took some ice cubes out of pockets. "It's funny that you always have ice cubes, even though we use so many."

Edward straddled Roy and slid the ice cube across Roy's neck. "Y-yeah, well." Roy said, shuttering with pleasure. He could feel himself get instantly hard—which was rather sad for a man of his supposed self-control.

Edward felt it too. He smirked. Ed slid his flesh hand between his own legs and onto Roy's bulge. He rubbed Roy's covered erection lightly, and then harder and faster as his lover started breathing heavier. Roy leaned his head back and took it as Edward stroked him, even though the pants were making his erection hurt a bit due to restriction.

"You're too easy." Edward said softly and jokingly. Even in the mist of his pleasure, Roy heard him. _Two can play at this game_, he thought.

Roy leaned forward and moaned quietly into Edward's ear. He slid his hands right into the parting of Edward's legs and was not surprised to find the teenager already hard.

"Oh, Edward...yes..." Roy moaned into Edward's ear. It was Edward's turn to start breathing heavier. He moaned out Roy's name.

Roy rolled Edward over onto his back, and quickly undoing and taking off the teen's pants. He took one of the ice cubes out of Edward's hand and popped it into his mouth. He let his warm saliva melt the ice cube a bit before taking Edward's shaft into his mouth. He began to work his mouth up and down as Edward gasped, panted, and moaned. The mixture of warm and cold felt amazing on his swollen penis, not to mention that Roy was pretty skilled at this. Roy worked his tongue to hit all the right spots on his young lover's penis.

Roy could sense that Edward was building up to a climax as his lover began to pant and moan heavier. However, in doing such, Edward was getting a bit too loud. Roy paused for a mere moment to reach up and throw a pillow onto Edward's face. Edward took the hint and bit the pillow as Roy began working on him again and Edward came in Roy's mouth.

Roy stopped and pulled himself up beside Edward, letting the teen rest. Edward set the pillow aside. Roy chuckled when he saw it.

"Pillow biter." He teased, using a normally offensive term to gay men to tease Edward.

"Shut up." Edward said, though he still smiled.

"Well, you're good to talk. You ready to really get down to the real business?" Roy asked.

"Nope. Good night." Edward said and rolled to face away from Roy. He was joking, but Roy didn't realize that.

"Hey! You selfish _little_ brat!" Roy said, purposely trying to evoke Edward's predictable reaction.

"LITTLE?? WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TINY, MINIATURE, LITTLE FLEA THAT COULD SWIM IN A MOLECULE OF H2O??" Edward whisper-shouted. He wanted to bellow the words, but Al and Gabriel were asleep. In the process of yelling, Edward had flipped over and pinned Roy to the bed. Roy smirked. "Damn it, you're a bastard."

Edward moved his body out of the way and lowered his head down to Roy's crotch. He quickly undid Roy's pants and took them off. He then took Roy's hardened penis into his mouth and began to move his head up and down.

Roy began to pant and moan quietly. After all, he had more control over his body than Edward had. Still, as the pleasure grew, Roy grew a bit louder, so Edward could tell when Roy was near climax. Just as Roy was about to climax, Edward stopped. He pushed himself away from Roy's pelvic area, and brought his face near Roy's.

"Have fun with that." Edward said, smirking. "Reconsider the next time you want to call me little."

Roy's mouth dropped open. He never imagined Edward to be such a revengeful brat. Obviously Edward was, though, because he rolled over to fall asleep.

Roy sighed. He masturbated quickly to get the climax over with and then fell asleep as well.

Edward smirked as he heard Roy masturbating. See if that bastard ever called him small, tiny, or little ever again.


	72. Chapter 72

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd. Parental complexes (both subtle and being shoved down your throat). Angst. Lots of OOC-ness. If you don't know all this by now...where have you been? Did you just skip ahead? Haha.

Notes: This is a rather short chapter. As much as I hate to admit it, I think this story is coming to an end. :-( I think I am going to try to make it to chapter 75, at least.

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Roy woke up early the next morning and cooked a breakfast of bacon, toast, pancakes, and eggs for the boys.

Once everything was on the table, he began to bang two fry pans together.

"EVERYBODY UP!" Roy shouted. "OR I'LL EAT THIS BREAKFAST BY MYSELF!"

Alphonse and Gabriel came in rubbing their eyes.

"What is all"—Al yawned—"the racket about?"

"Yeah..." Gabriel agreed. Then both the boys saw the feast on the table. With no hesitation, they each took a plate and served themselves.

Edward came down as Alphonse and Gabriel were stuffing their faces. Roy was still waiting for his teenager. Once Edward saw the full meal on the table, he got a sad look on his face. He felt bad for what he did last night.

"Roy—." Edward started, but was interrupted by the man he was addressing.

"It's fine." Roy said. He could tell by the look on Edward's face how sorry he was.

"No, it's not. Roy, I'm sorry about last night. Just—don't call me that..._word_." Edward said, referring to how Roy called him 'little' the previous night.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I know how much you hate it..."

Suddenly Alphonse gave a loud sigh.

"If you two lovebirds don't get over here, we're going to eat it all. Got it?" Al said.

Edward smiled shyly up at Roy, who returned the smile. They sat down at the table and took their fair share of what was left. Gabriel took another piece of toast.

"Dad, could you pass me the butter?" Gabriel asked, looking at Roy. The young adults and adult in the room froze. 'Dad' was what Gabriel had always called Aiden. Gabriel didn't seem to realize what he had just done. Roy was the one who returned the situation to mildly normal.

"Sure thing, Gabe." He said, handing Gabriel the small plate that contained the butter.

Roy couldn't help but wonder: _Was that an accident? Did he mean to call me 'Dad'?_ Edward and Alphonse were wondering the same thing.

Edward couldn't eat anymore after hearing that. He started to think about how Aiden was gone and lost his appetite.

Roy saw that Edward wasn't eating and found Edward's foot with his own. Once he had Edward's attention, Roy mouthed, "I love you."

Edward smiled weakly and mouthed, "I love you too."


	73. Chapter 73

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd. Parental complexes (both subtle and being shoved down your throat). Angst. Lots of OOC-ness. If you don't know all this by now...where have you been? Did you just skip ahead? Haha. ...Wait, did you really? I don't understand how some chapters have more hits than the previous chapters.

Notes: I'm changing the arrangement...again. I'm going to update every other day. (Starting January, every odd numbered date). That means no update tomorrow.  
However, every chapter is going to be at least 1000 words, NOT including author's notes. Which is about two and a half times as long as the last chapter.

I'm attempting to make it to 100 chapters. Reviewers reminded me that there is actually a lot of stuff for me to wrap up. Thank you. :-)

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"Hey Gabriel?" Alphonse said. Gabriel and he were playing in the room they shared. Both were full from the huge breakfast they just ate, so they actually were just pushing a couple of wooden toy cars around. Alphonse had bought the cars yesterday while Edward was at work with Roy.

Gabriel stopped playing with his car and looked up at Al with large, scarlet eyes. "Yeah?" He asked.

"Did, uh...Did you mean to call Roy 'Dad'?" Al asked.

"Mhmm." Gabriel said. "He sleeps in the same bed with Daddy...that makes him my Dad, right?"

Alphonse looked down on the boy and realized how truly innocent the boy was; Gabriel didn't even know that Ed and Roy were dating. He just knew that Edward and Roy slept in the same bed and to him that was enough.

"If you say to." Al finally responded to the boy. He couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't Daddy then, since he had slept in the same bed as Aiden, but he had only slept in the same bed a few times. In his moment of inconsideration, Al blurted out, "Roy isn't replacing Aiden, is he?"

Gabriel nearly gave himself whiplash with how fast he looked up at Alphonse. "NO!" He yelled. "TAKE THAT BACK! TAKE THAT BACK!" Gabriel chanted while covering his ears. He stomped his feet a few times to emphasis his shouting.

Alphonse watched in terror; he had no idea how to deal with temper tantrums. Suddenly he heard two sets of footsteps rushing towards the room. It could only be Roy and Edward.

Edward stopped and took in the scene. His almost-son was screaming and stomping his feet in classic temper tantrum fashion, and his brother was frozen in horror.

"You take Gabe; I'll take Al." Roy said, using his skill to take charge at the drop of a hat.

"Deal." Edward agreed.

Gabriel, meanwhile, was still screeching, "TAKE THAT BACK!"

Edward walked up to the boy, and removed Gabriel's hand from his ears. Gabriel stopped shouting instantly. He looked up at Edward, who saw that Gabriel's eyelashes were wet. It was obvious that Gabriel had been crying while shouting.

"Make him take it back!" Gabriel said to Edward, pointing a finger at Alphonse.

"What'd he say, dear?" Ed asked.

"He said that Roy was going to replace Aiden!" Gabriel said, stomping his foot.

"I did not!" Al overheard Gabriel and protested. "I simply asked him...if that was going to happen."

Edward stood up and walked slowly over to Al with a scowl on his face.

"Don't you _dare_ even _suggest_ that." Edward said, very slowly and angrily. He could feel his blood grow hot.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Alphonse said. "I just meant as...as Gabriel's other father! I didn't even say that he was replacing Aiden. Damn it, Edward. Keep your temper in check and maybe you'll think things through rationally. You really think you're the only one that this death is hurting??"

Alphonse threw up his arms in exasperation and began to walk out of the room.

"Of course I don't!" Edward exclaim, grabbing a hold of Al's sleeve. He yanked to get his brother to face him. "Where are you going?"

Al jerked his sleeve back into his control. "I'm going to Hooligan's. Do you have a problem with that? At least you have someone to stay with at night, unlike I always did." Al said. He was referring to almost every time Ed used to go to Hooligan's before he got together with Roy. Alphonse usually stayed in the hotel room. Granted, he usually told Edward that he was reading, but surely Ed knew he was lying. If Al had had a body to cry with those days, the books would have been water damaged.

Edward's eyes narrowed. "I did invite you to come, if you remember."

"I do. But I—but I didn't...I didn't want to be a burden!" Al burst. "I felt like I was tagging around you too much. I even followed you when you gave your military reports. Hooligan's was yours. Hooligan's was your time to be just you... I didn't want to intrude." Alphonse heaved a sigh. "Sorry." He said simply.

"Al." Edward said. He had his face down, trying to hide his emotions. "Do you really think that?" Ed's voice was harsh, like he was holding in tears.

"...I did." Al said. Edward looked up at his brother. His eyelashes were wet, like Gabriel's had been. He walked up to Al and hugged him. At first Al didn't hug back because he was in shock (Edward usually didn't give hugs so easily), but then he hugged back. "You could never be a burden. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like you were." Edward said, his voice still harsh.

"...You didn't." Al said. Edward finally stopped hugging Al.

"I really hope you don't think Roy is replacing Aiden." Edward said.

"I don't." Al said. "But I still want to go to Hooligan's right now...if that's okay."

"Of course." Edward said. He smiled at his brother. However, Ed ruined what could be a touching moment when he mocked religion and clasped his hands in prayer form, bowed his head quickly, and said, "Go with my blessings."

Alphonse shook his head in shame from being related to such a person. "Sure, Ed, whatever you say." Al then turned and left.

Edward turned around to find that Roy had been talking to Gabriel the whole time and neither had been paying attention to the Elric brothers.

"Okay, Roy, stop corrupting the boy." Edward joked. Roy looked up at the teenager before turning back to Gabriel.

"...And that's how you destroy the world." Roy said jokingly to the boy. Luckily, Gabriel understood the joke and why Roy had said such a thing. "Actually, Gabe and I were just discussing why he called me 'Dad'. It's kind of cute, actually. Go on and tell him, Gabe." Roy encouraged. Gabriel blushed at the fact that Roy had said that he was cute. He blushed even heavier when he saw that Edward was looking at him.

"Well...uh...You and him sleep in the same bed..." Gabriel said. Then, seeking approval, he added, "Doesn't that mean he's my Dad?"

Edward smiled gently at his boy's theory. "Yeah, Gabriel, it does. Just don't call him your new Dad or anything, okay? He is just 'Dad'. He's not new or anything. In fact...with his age...he's almost ancient." Edward said, deciding to tease Roy while he was at it.

"Hey! I'm not _that_ much older than you." Roy said. "Besides, with age comes height." Edward scowled at Roy. "Don't tease me about my age, then, Edward. You have to admit that you had that coming."

"Did not." Edward said. Roy raised an eyebrow. "...Well, maybe." Edward admitted.

"That's better. Now play with Gabe." Roy said. He patted both Ed and Gabriel on the head and exited the room. Gabriel watched him leave.

"I still like you better than Dad." Gabriel said to Edward.

"I like you better than him too." Edward said, smiling at his son.

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Eek. Don't get any bad ideas about EdXGabriel. I realize how that could be seen, since Edward likes Roy enough to have sex with him. Edward just meant that he likes Gabriel better with...um, personality...or something. Ed doesn't like Gabriel in a sexual way! Ha! There, that's what I mean. :-)


	74. Chapter 74

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd. Parental complexes (both subtle and being shoved down your throat). Angst. Lots of OOC-ness. If you don't know all this by now...where have you been? Did you just skip ahead? Haha. ...Wait, did you really? I don't understand how some chapters have more hits than the previous chapters.

Notes: Happy New Years!  
I did do research for adoption steps. Due to Ed and Roy's situation, a lot of the steps can actually be skipped (for example, searching for a child). I have no idea if the military had a department to help soldiers to adopt. I'm actually almost sure that they don't. However, I decided to make one up because it seems best. I've obviously never adopted a child before (I'm seventeen!), so I'm sorry if some facts are incorrect in the upcoming chapters.

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"Hey. Edward." Roy whispered. Edward had just finished tucking Gabriel in. It had been a few days since the big explosion of Edward, Alphonse, and Gabriel. Edward took a glance at Alphonse's empty bed (Al was sleeping at Hooligan's again) before looking up at Roy.

Edward tiptoed out of the room and closed the door quietly behind him.

"Yeah?" He whispered.

"We need to talk." Roy said. _Oh no. Nothing good ever follows those four words._ Edward thought. He gulped before following Roy into the kitchen.

Roy sat down at the kitchen table, and Edward followed his example.

"Now, Edward. We have a very important issue to discuss." Roy said. Edward looked up at Roy with worried eyes. Roy raised his eyebrows. "Am I making you nervous? Oh, it's nothing like that! We just have to discuss Gabriel's living situation."

Edward let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Oh, Ed. You silly teenager." Roy said before he kissed Edward on the forehead. Edward blushed.

"Well, you were being all...suspicious." Edward muttered, embarrassed.

"I guess I was. Well, we need to discuss Gabriel living here. He can continue living here if," Roy paused. "If I adopt him. Otherwise he might get taken away."

"So do it." Edward said. Couldn't the man take things head on without permission? Surely adopting a kid wasn't _that_ hard.

"It's not that simple." Roy said. "One of the very first steps is a home study. These people are going to come in and see how I live here. Plus, I have to provide a birth certificate and personal references. Not only that, but I have to pass for child abuse clearance. I've never abused a child, so that should be easy, but I'm mostly worried about them seeing how I am living here. How are we going to explain you and Alphonse? It's quite clear that I'm not the only person living here."

"Alphonse can stay at Hooligan's during the home study. I'll live in his bed. If they ask, I can just say that I don't have a place to stay so you offered me your home." Edward suggested.

"What about personal references?" Roy asked, seeking Ed's opinion.

"You have me, for one." Edward said.

"Personal references have to be above the age of eighteen. God, I'm technically a child molester. That's sexual child abuse...shit." Roy sulked.

"I'm not a child! You told me yourself that I gave up that option once I joined the military!" Edward demanded for Roy to remember, scowling. "Besides, it's not like we'll be telling them that."

"Well, I can use my subordinates as references. Oh no." Roy paused. "Breda. If he sees social workers, he might try to talk to them and tell them about me and you."

"So sent him away while they are there." Edward said.

"Oh. I suppose that would work." Roy said. "Who would you recommend, do you think?"

"Hawkeye and... Fuery. Hawkeye definitely will back you up, and Fuery was helpful and accepting when you came out."

"Good idea." Roy said. He paused for a minute to think if there was anything else they had to take care of.

"Um, don't we have to find an agency?" Ed asked.

"Well, I can work through the military. They have a department section for military soldiers who want to adopt." Roy said.

"Oh. That should be helpful."

"I'm really nervous about this." Roy admitted.

"Me too." Edward admitted as well.

"Oh! You know what we need to do?" Roy asked.

"What?"

"We need to look up records on Gabriel's birth parents." Roy said. "I don't know how I forgot that, but good thing I remembered it. If we want to adopt Gabriel, we need his parents' permission."

"Well, his father is either dead or a walk out." Edward said, thinking. "He has a brother and a mother. His brother's name is Gary. The mother's name is Lily...umm...Schick."

"Schick? Sound like sick." Roy said. Edward couldn't help but smile at him. He had to admit that it was slightly funny.

"Yeah, it does. It fits her because of that. She beat the fuck out of Gabriel one night. His brother brought him to Hooligan's for protection. He was apparently a slight regular at Hooligan's, and he knew Gabriel would be safe there. Nobody has heard from Gary since."

"That's interesting. I wonder what happened to him." Roy said, slightly shocked.

"So do I. You would think he would check up on his own brother."

"How old is Gary?"

"By now...he should be fifteen or sixteen."

"Okay. I'll look up the records on Gary Schick and Lily Schick tomorrow." Roy said. "Of course, they might not even have records due to the Ishbalan descent. It's worth a try. If they don't, I'm sure that they would just let me adopt Gabriel. After all, his past is seen as worthless due to his being Ishbalan."

"I hate how little this country thinks of Ishbalans." Edward said.

"Me too." Roy said. He couldn't help but think back to the Ishbalan war. He hadn't thought much of Ishbalans back then either. Roy sighed heavily. "I'm going to take a shower."

"O-okay..." Edward said, confused at Roy's mood change. Then he understood it. He watched his lover leave the kitchen with sagging shoulders and felt guilty because he wasn't sure if he could do anything.

In the shower, Roy turned the shower to cold and let himself freeze for a bit to clear his head of guilt before actually washing himself.

---

"Hello?" Edward answered the phone, which had awoken him from his sleep. He looked at the clock—ten am.

"Hey, Edward." Roy said. Ed sat up. Roy never called him from work unless he wanted a report. Edward hadn't been on any missions lately, so something else had to be up.

"What's up?" Ed asked.

"I looked up Gary and Lily Schick, and I have got some pretty interesting results. They do have records on them, but it's not such good news. Well, in our situation, it might be." Roy said. He was talking so fast that Edward almost didn't understand him.

"Do tell." Ed encouraged.

"Actually, I think you should come down here. I don't feel comfortable telling this over the phone. Plus this is a military line, and I'm not supposed to make personal phone calls on it." Roy said.

"I'll be right down." Edward said and hung up. He dressed as fast as he could. _Shit, someone needs to watch Gabriel._ Edward thought. He peaked into Gabriel's room to find the boy still asleep. Luckily, he also saw that Alphonse was in his bed. Al must have arrived home early in the morning.

Edward quickly scribbled a note to Al and Gabriel and hurried down to headquarters as fast as he could. _What could possibly involve Gabriel's brother and mother that is so secret that it couldn't be shared on the phone?_

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Hehe. Cliffhanger. I'm mean.


	75. Chapter 75

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd. Parental complexes (both subtle and being shoved down your throat). Angst. Lots of OOC-ness. If you don't know all this by now...where have you been? Did you just skip ahead? Haha. ...Wait, did you really? I don't understand how some chapters have more hits than the previous chapters.

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"Okay, Roy, what did I need to walk down here to hear?" Edward asked, taking a seat on Roy's couch. He had just entered Roy's office.

"Well…" Roy took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "It's Gabriel's mother, Lily."

"Yeah? What about her?"

"Gary killed her, Edward." Roy said. Ed's mouth dropped open.

"Come again?" Edward asked. He couldn't believe it. Gabriel's brother had killed his own mother?

"Two years ago, on the night of May 3rd, Gary Schick killed his mother, Lily Schick." Roy said, repeating what he knew. "He said that his mother had beat up his brother, so he brought his brother to a safe house, and then returned home, where his mother began threatening him with a knife. He says that 'she was screwed up by the war', and thought he was bringing her peace by killing her. He refused to say where he brought his brother, but we know that bit. He is now in prison for homicide."

"…Wow." Edward said. "You know, I've met Gary. He didn't seem that type." Edward paused before continuing, "Well, good. That just makes the job easier for us."

"Edward! That was a cruel thing to say!" Roy said.

"She beat on Gabriel! She deserved to die!" Edward said, his eyes dark and determined. Roy shook his head and saw that he wasn't going to change Edward's mind on this. He decided to mildly switch topics.

"Anyways, I'll file an adoption form after work. Until then, you should just go home and relax." Roy said.

"Okay. See you in a few hours." Edward replied. He got up and left.

When Ed got home, he found the house empty. Alphonse had written him a note, saying Gabriel and himself had gone to Hooligan's.

---

Alphonse stretched and yawned. He wandered downstairs to get some milk and stumbled across Edward's note saying he was gone.

Once Alphonse had finished pouring his milk, he turned around to find Gabriel. He jumped.

"Gabe! You scared me!" Al said, using Roy's nickname for Gabriel in the moment of shock. Gabriel grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry." He said.

"It's okay." Al replied. "You want some milk?"

"Please." Gabriel answered. Alphonse poured another glass of milk. Neither of them spoke until they had sat down and had a few sips of milk.

"So," Alphonse started. "Do you want to go to Hooligan's today?"

"Yeah! I want to see Derek and Samantha again!" Gabriel said. He finished his milk quickly and ran to grab a few toys. Alphonse just barely finished his milk before Gabriel returned with his arms full of toys and said, "Okay, I'm ready to go!" 

Al chuckled, and then finished his milk, and the two were off—after Al got a bag for Gabriel.

Overall, the time at Hooligan's was pretty uneventful for Gabriel. He played with Derek and Samantha, and that was it. They were at the age where they were still learning sharing, and, as a result, they had to argue a bit before they decided who got which toy. Regardless, the seven-year-olds still managed to have fun.

Alphonse's experience was a little more exciting. Martel and him were hanging out in her room when he decided to tell her how he felt.

"Hey Martel?" Al said when he got the chance.

"Yes?" Martel replied.

"I—I like you." Al admitted. Martel chuckled, and Alphonse's face fell. Martel took note of this before responding.

"Oh, Alphonse." She started. "You're finally admitting it?"

Martel chuckled again at the shocked look on Al's face before kissing him.

---

A few hours before Roy was due home, Alphonse decided it was time to leave. He was sure that Edward would be home by now. Thus, he looked found Gabriel and told him it was time to go.

Alphonse and Gabriel found Edward home alone and simply reading.

"Darn." Al said, causing Edward to look up. "I was hoping to catch you doing something naughty." Al joked. Edward smirked and returned to his book.

---

Edward and Alphonse were reading and Gabriel was playing with a wooden car on the floor when they heard the door open and shut.

Edward closed his book quickly and rushed to greet Roy. He found the man looking almost shell-shocked. Roy was pale, his mouth was open as if in disbelief, and he looked as if he was in despair. He absently handed a form to Edward.

"What's this?" Edward asked, and looked at it. "It's an adoption certificate! All right! Roy, you won!" Edward gave a happy little hop and hugged Roy, who still looked shocked, but managed to close his mouth. Edward let go before asking, "What's the matter? Amazed that you're a daddy now?"

Roy shook his head.

Alphonse came into the room just as Roy said hoarsely, "The worker said that Ishbalans aren't counted as humans, and that nobody cares where they live."

"What??" Al exclaimed. Edward jumped, since he didn't know his brother was behind him. Roy simply looked at Al and nodded. "That's horrible!"

"They only gave me an adoption certificate for my own peace of mind. Otherwise they would have just let me have Gabriel. The man said he didn't care what I did with an Ishbalan child, and I could fry him up and eat him for dinner for all he cared." Roy said. He shuttered at the thought. "I forced him to see the records and such, insisting that I needed to know that I was legally taking custody of Gabriel."

Alphonse and Edward were shocked into silence.

Gabriel came to see what the "adults"—though only one of them was an adult—were up to. He found all of them unable to utter a word. Suddenly, Roy dropped to his knees.

"Come here, Gabe. Please." Roy said quietly, while holding his arms open for a hug. Gabriel ran to him, embracing the man because he could see Roy needed it. Once Roy was actually holding the boy that society had dismissed as garbage, he started crying. He was crying so hard that he was shaking. He was sobbing and tears were running down his face, and he knew he hadn't cried this hard in several years. In fact, it had probably been nearly twenty years since he cried this horribly.

Alphonse and Edward weren't sure how to react, so they just stood there stupidly. Gabriel, however, hugged Roy as tightly as he could.

"Dad, it's okay." He repeated over and over. "It'll be okay."

"Gabe." Roy said, finally calming down and withdrawing from the hug. "Gabriel, no matter what anyone tells you, I want you to remember this, okay? You're human, Gabriel. You're a living, breathing human."

Gabriel blinked a few times in surprise. Then, he smiled. "Of course I am. Anyone that claims I'm not is blind, deaf, and dumb."

Edward had to smile about that. His son was very smart for his age.

Roy ruffled Gabriel's hair. "That's right. Don't forget that."

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Notes: Okay, I know the situation with the adoption seemed a little too convenient and thus seemingly unrealistic. However, you have to remember the times they are in. This is during the series, so Ishbalans are seen basically as trash. Most Ishbalans are living in camps. I honestly doubt that the military/government would care whether the Ishbalans lived or died, and they especially wouldn't care where they lived.


	76. Chapter 76

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd. Parental complexes (both subtle and being shoved down your throat). Angst. Lots of OOC-ness. If you don't know all this by now...where have you been? Did you just skip ahead? Haha. ...Wait, did you really? I don't understand how some chapters have more hits than the previous chapters.

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"So...are you okay now, or are you still upset?" Edward asked once he and Roy were in the bed, and Gabriel was tucked in. Alphonse had decided to spend the night at Roy's.

"I'm still upset, but I'm not going to cry anymore if that's what you mean." Roy replied.

"Sorry." Edward said. He had asked his question rather coldly. He didn't mean to though; he just didn't know how to deal with crying people.

"It's fine, Edward. I just...I hate that Ishbalans are being treated like that. That's why I need to become Führer. I know it won't repent what I did in the war, but maybe it will help the survivors." Roy said, twisting the sheets in his hands.

"I know." Edward said. He kissed Roy on the cheek. "Just try to calm down and go to sleep. Everything will be fine."

"Hopefully." Roy said.

"It will be." Edward insisted, even though he wasn't quite sure himself. He snuggled closer to Roy and the two men fell asleep holding each other.

---

A week later, at Hooligan's, Al was snuggling closer to his own lover, Martel.

"Al?"

"Yeah?" Al responded to Martel.

"I need to ask you something." Martel started. She turned around to face Alphonse. He nodded for her to continue. "Do you actually like me? Are you sure I'm not just a rebound for Aiden?" Martel asked very gently, trying not to hurt Al's feelings. Alphonse had told her about Aiden a few days ago, though she already knew by then through rumors around Hooligan's.

"Of course not!" Al declared. "I love you."

Martel narrowed her eyes. "Don't say that. We haven't been going out long enough for you to think you love me."

Alphonse felt himself back down. "Okay, okay. I really, really like you then."

"I suppose that's better." Martel said. "I like you too." She kissed Alphonse on the lips. He returned the kiss passionately, pulling her hips closer with his hands. She broke the kiss suddenly.

"Al, remember what I said." Martel reminded him.

"I know. You don't want to make love until we've been dating for a month. I agree with you on that. That doesn't mean we can't kiss, does it?" Al asked.

"Nope, it sure doesn't." Martel said and began kissing him again.

---

Gabriel, meanwhile, was busy playing house with Derek and Samantha.

"Okay, Derek and I will be the daddies and you be the child." Gabriel said.

"That's not how it works! There's a daddy and a mommy, not two daddies." Samantha replied. Gabriel scowled.

"I have two daddies. It can work either way." Gabriel insisted.

"How do you have two daddies? You need a woman's egg to make a baby." Derek said, joining Samantha's side.

"They aren't my bioligital—." Gabriel started.

"Biological." Samantha corrected.

"Yeah, well, they aren't my _biological_ parents. They adopted me." Gabriel said.

"Then they aren't your daddies." Derek replied.

"Yes they are! They are raising me! That means they're my parents!" Gabriel demanded.

"Everyone needs a mommy." Samantha said.

"I don't. My biological mommy hurt me." Gabriel said, crossing his arms.

"Our parents got throw in jail for taking drugs." Samantha informed him. "We ran away before the cops could catch us."

"Well, fine. Then we don't need parents. Let's just all be children." Gabriel said, finding the solution.

The three children played house until Alphonse came to take Gabriel home to Roy's house.

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Okay. This is half of what I promised. Thus, I will update again tomorrow, and after that, the updates will go back to being longer.

Also, I think from here on, the story doesn't really have as much of a plot. It'll just be little adventures or something.


	77. Chapter 77

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd. Parental complexes (both subtle and being shoved down your throat). Angst. Lots of OOC-ness. If you don't know all this by now...where have you been? Did you just skip ahead? Haha. ...Wait, did you really? I don't understand how some chapters have more hits than the previous chapters.

Okay, since I feel this story is coming to an end, I may be done by chapter 80. If you have any ideas that you know I need to wrap up, please mention them. I do have an ending planned.

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"Hey, Ed?" Alphonse entered the room nervously. Edward looked up from his book.

"What is it?" He asked gently, sensing that his brother was nervous.

Alphonse took a deep breath and exhaled with a sigh.

"There is someone I want you to meet." Al said. "Would you want to come to Hooligan's with me later?"

"Sure." Edward said and returned to his book.

Al walked out of the room. _That was easy_, he thought.

Edward, meanwhile, was almost regretting agreeing so easily. He hadn't been to Hooligan's since Aiden's death. What would going to that place be like? It was probably full of memories of Aiden.

---

Alphonse and Edward walked to Hooligan's in silence. Gabriel was going to spend the night with Roy for bonding.

When they finally got to the building, Edward looked at Al before opening the door. Al nodded and smiled.

Edward opened the door slowly, expecting a ghost of Aiden to rush to him. Nothing happened. No one was in the room that Al and Ed entered in.

The brothers found Falesyia in the living room.

"Darling!" Falesyia jumped up and ran to hug Edward. "I haven't seen you in sooo long. Since...well, that day."

"Yeah." Edward said, hugging Falesyia back.

"Hey, Alphonse." Falesyia said, hugging Al as well.

"Hey, Falesyia." Al replied. "Well, if you'll excuse us, I have to go introduce Ed to a very special someone." Al winked at Falesyia.

"Ah, I see. Well, bye-bye dears. Have fun." Falesyia said.

Al and Edward walked the length to Martel's room. Al knocked and Martel opened the door.

"Hey, Al." She said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Al has a girlfriend. Al has a girlfriend." Edward chanted playfully.

"Yeah, you want to say something about it, pipsqueak?" Martel challenged.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SUPER MINI MOUSE??" Edward shouted.

"Calm down, Ed. She didn't say that."

"She alluded to it! You heard her! PipSQUEAK." Edward said, crossing his arms. Martel chuckled.

"Al, who is this? He's amusing. Short, but amusing." Martel said.

"Don't call me short!" Edward burst. Martel chuckled again.

"...Martel, I'm ashamed to say this is my brother." Al said. He sighed.

"Little brother, right?" Martel said, joking. From what Alphonse had told her about himself, this was his big brother. She was just testing her limits.

"I'm the BIG brother, thank-you-very-much!" Edward said. Martel smirked. Edward scowled at her.

"Will you relax?" Martel said, and ruffled Edward's bangs. "I'm only joking."

"Anyways, Edward, this is my girlfriend." Alphonse said.

"You have a poor choice in women, Al." Edward said.

"Well, you have a poor choice in men, Ed." Alphonse retorted.

"Don't say that. Roy let us into his home." Edward replied.

"Martel helped me on the day of Aiden's funeral."

"Oh." Ed took a moment to absorb then. Then, he turned to Martel. "Well, thank you...for taking care of my brother." He said sincerely.

Martel was taken aback. "Y-yeah." She replied simply. _Who knew this shrimp could go from angry to grateful in two seconds flat?_

"So, did you two have sex yet?" Edward asked suddenly, bringing the mood out of the heartfelt feeling it had gone to.

"Brother! Stop being a pervert!" Al said.

Martel did an up and down glance of Edward and nodded.

"Okay, I approve of him as your brother. He's got spunk." Martel said. Edward repeated Martel's actions, looking her up-and-down and nodding.

"I approve of your girlfriend, then." Edward said. He smiled, and Martel smiled back. They shook hands on the approval of each other.

Alphonse was left wondering what just happened.


	78. Chapter 78

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd. Parental complexes (both subtle and being shoved down your throat). Angst. Lots of OOC-ness. If you don't know all this by now...where have you been? Did you just skip ahead? Haha. ...Wait, did you really? I don't understand how some chapters have more hits than the previous chapters.

Notes: This chapter is a bit short. I'll write a longer chapter next time.

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"Okay, Gabe, what do you want to do now that those two are away?" Roy asked the boy as soon as Edward and Alphonse had exited the house.

Gabriel looked up at Roy with his head tilted to the side. "I don't know." He said.

"Well, we have to do something. I can't just have you sitting here bored." Roy replied.

"Oh." Gabriel said. "We could play with my cars."

Roy agreed. Unfortunately, this activity didn't last them long.

"You're not doing it right!" Gabriel said. "You have to say vrrrrm vrrrrm when you move them." Roy tried to imitate the noise, but did a poor job of it. Gabriel suggested they do something else.

"Good idea." Roy said. Neither of them could think of which toy to play with, so Roy finally suggested that he should just make them lunch.

Roy cooked them some grilled cheese sandwiches, and when he was taking a bite, an idea hit him. He swallowed his food before saying, "Hey, aren't little boys supposed to like playing catch?"

"Catch?" Gabriel asked, with a mouthful of food.

"Yeah. You throw a ball back and forth. It's pretty fun." Roy said. He was recalling the days when he was young. He did have a lot of fun with his father.

"Okay." Gabriel replied, though he wasn't so sure about such a thing being "fun".

Roy managed to find an old baseball in his garage.

Gabriel and Roy tossed the ball back and forth until Alphonse and Edward came home.

Al and Ed first thought they had entered an empty house. They began looking around until finally they though to check the backyard, where they found Roy and Gabriel playing.

Gabriel was the first to notice the brothers. He ran over to them.

"Daddy, Dad's boring me." Gabriel said.

"Well, we'll just have to fix that then, won't we?" Edward said. "Hey, Roy, stop bugging my kid!" Edward joked.

Roy walked over to the boys. "Welcome back." He said to Al and Edward.

"So...catch? That's the best you could come up with?" Edward asked.

"Apparently I don't make the right sounds when playing with toy cars." Roy said.

"How hard is it to say vrrrrm vrrrrm?" Al asked.

"Very hard, thank you very much." Roy said. "So, how about we all go out for ice cream?"  
Gabriel and Alphonse agreed right away. Edward had a quick flashback to going to get ice cream with Aiden. He blinked a few times to clear his mind, and then nodded.

"Let's go to the one by Mr. Wellham's old store. We can say hi." Roy joked.

_No, too many memories_, Edward thought. He smirked slightly at Roy's joke so that he wouldn't seem odd.

Roy still noticed Edward's change in demeanor. When the males were all walking, Al and Gabriel took lead, and Roy fell behind with Edward.

"You okay? I'm sorry about that." Roy said.

"It's fine. You didn't mean it." Edward replied. Still, he keep his eyes directed at the ground and slouched shoulders. Roy put an arm around Edward.

"That doesn't answer if you're okay." Roy stated. Edward looked up at him.

"I'm okay...Or I will be." Edward replied.

Suddenly Gabriel squealed.

"Look at the pretty clouds!" He said. The clouds weren't impressive to the older individual. They were fluffy and light, but older people had seen clouds like that plenty of times. Somehow, though, Gabriel found delight in them. "That's where Aiden-Dad is." (1) Gabriel said. Edward looked at him surprised.

"Is he?" Al asked.

"Mhmm. He told me that he wasn't leaving me. He was going to live in the clouds because they're soft and would make a good bed. He said that he was going to watch over me too." Gabriel said. This was something neither Al nor Edward had heard before. They wondered when Aiden had told Gabriel that, but Gabriel must have visited Aiden when Al or Ed wasn't there.

_Thank goodness for innocence_, Roy thought. _I'm glad that he could find happiness in such a thought._ Edward was thinking along the same lines.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the ice cream place. Across the street was the building that was previously Mr. Wellham's toy store. The place had been shut down when Mr. Wellham had continued to not pay taxes. He disappeared shortly afterwards. Rumor has it that he went to Xing.

_That's the table that Aiden and I were sitting at when I made him cry_, Edward thought. He took a glance up at the clouds. _I hope you're up there and happy._ Edward felt a bit of hope fill him. He knew that, scientifically, Aiden couldn't be up there, but he still kept the optimism that maybe Aiden's soul had been allowed to reside in the clouds.

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(1) Gabriel is saying Aiden-Dad as one name. He isn't correcting himself.

Sounds like it could be an ending, doesn't it? Not yet. I still owe you a few more chapters. :-)


	79. Chapter 79

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd. Parental complexes (both subtle and being shoved down your throat). Angst. Lots of OOC-ness. If you don't know all this by now...where have you been? Did you just skip ahead? Haha. ...Wait, did you really? I don't understand how some chapters have more hits than the previous chapters.

With this chapter, you WILL be able to tell my story is AU. I doubt they had some of the stuff that Martel experiences in the bathroom in the 1920's. In fact, I'm positive they didn't.

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_I can't believe Al wants to take me on a __**date**_, Martel thought for the hundredth time that day. Al had visited her yesterday and said that he wanted to take her to a fancy restaurant.

Though Martel had not been here long, she knew who to go to for clothes.

"Falesyia?" Martel knocked on said person's door. Falesyia opened the door immediately.

"Yes, dear?" He replied.

"Um, well. You have a lot of clothes, right? You don't happen to have a dress, do you?" Martel asked.

"A dress? I think I have a few. Come in." Falesyia said, backing out of the doorway and letting Martel into the room. "So, whom are we dressing up for?"

Martel blushed. "Al is taking me on a date."

"I see. You can either go with this dark green, gray, or black. I wouldn't recommend any of the other colors."

"Golly, but I was sooo looking forward to wearing this neon pink dress!" Martel joked, smirking.

"Absolutely not!" Falesyia said. Martel couldn't tell if he got the joke or not. "I'd say to wear this short, black one."

Martel looked at the dress. If she were to wear it and bend over, it wouldn't be pretty. "...It's too short." She said finally, deciding to be honest.

"I suppose I have a longer one..." Falesyia searched through his stock of dresses. Martel watched him. _For a guy, he sure has a lot of dresses for just playing dress up..._ "Ah, here it is!" Falesyia exclaimed.

He held up a dress that would stop at Martel's knees and had spaghetti straps for sleeves.

"It will have to do." Martel said. She took the dress and began to leave the room.

"Please tell me you are not wearing those shoes, sweetie." Falesyia said. _This girl has NO idea how to be feminine_, Falesyia reflected.

"What's wrong with these?" Martel asked, looking down at her boots.

"Oh my goodness gracious, NO! You need high-heels." Falesyia said.

Martel blushed again. "I, uh...I don't know how to walk in high heels..."

"Well, I'll teach you!" Falesyia declared. He spent over an hour trying to teach her how to wear high-heels. He gave up when she had somewhat learned. She was still slightly wobbly, but she could walk, at least. "I suppose if you fall over into him, it could be romantic." Falesyia said.

"If you say so." Martel replied.

The next thing Falesyia hassled Martel about was her makeup. By the time Falesyia got done with Martel, she was almost model-worthy. Falesyia simply applied eyeliner, eyeshadow, and lipgloss, but it looked good, and it make Martel look much more girly. He left her tattoo alone, deciding he didn't have enough cover-up to, well, cover it up. Even if he had, it probably would have rubbed off too much.

Both Martel and Alphonse were shocked when they saw each other and how good they both looked dressed up. Al had obviously dressed up too, with black dress pants and a clean white shirt, both borrowed from Roy.

Roy was driving them to the restaurant so that they arrived in class. This was, after all, a fancy restaurant.

"So, how did you get the money for this?" Martel asked quietly when Al and she were in the back seat.

"I had some money from my mother." Al said. Since Al had explained his tragic story, Martel knew what he meant. "Chauffer, please pull up to the door. The lady and I would like to get directly from the car to the restaurant, with as little time in the dirty street as possible." Al joked with Roy.

"Um. As you wish." Roy said, looking back at Al. _They are a cute couple_, he had to admit.

Once in the restaurant, neither Al nor Martel knew what to order. Finally, they settled on meat they were both sure of what it was: steak. However, once the meat arrived, neither knew how to eat it. They both tried salt, which Martel took a liking too, and then Al tried steak sauce, which he liked.

They got a choice of sides, and both got mashed potatoes and gravy, since it seemed simple. It wasn't. The couple was given a choice of five gravies, the names of which ran together since the waiter said it so fast.

Al gave up. "Surprise us." He said. The surprise was that, whatever gravy they had gotten, it wasn't bad.

Near the end of dinner, Martel decided to go to the bathroom. As she was sitting on the toilet, she noticed that the seat of the toilet was very uncomfortably warm. She hovered over the seat for a bit and then, once her dress was back down, looked at the toilet. No wonder it was so warm—the seat was heated! _How pathetic does someone have to get that they need a heated toilet seat?_ Martel thought, exiting the stall.

While washing her hands, Martel was given a choice of three soaps: scented, unscented, and anti-bacterial. Martel wondered why they weren't all anti-bacterial. She chose the one that claimed to be anti-bacterial. After all, that was the point of soap, wasn't it?

When drying her hands with the paper towels (finally something without several choices and that was normal!), Martel noticed several little bottles on the counter. Once her hands were dry, she took a closer look. They were sample perfume bottles. Several of them had stupid names as well, such as Midnight Dream, Beautiful, and Love. Martel settled on Midnight Dream. She dabbed a bit on the top of her hand to test it out. One sniff gave her a headache. Martel tried desperately to wash the crap off with some more soap (unscented this time), but it didn't completely work. It diluted the smell, however, until it was at a reasonable level.

"What took so long?" Al asked when Martel got back to the table. Martel shook her head at him.

"It's a madhouse in the bathroom." She said simply. "I'm ready to leave."

"Okay. Waiter, check!" Al said, perhaps a bit too loudly. A few people from other tables looked at him.

Once Al had paid the bill, he called Roy from the restaurant pay phone. He was glad to hear that Roy wasn't breathing hard, which probably meant that Al did not interrupt sex involving his brother and Roy.

Martel and Al stood outside so they knew when Roy arrived. It was a cool night out, and both of them were cold, though Martel was colder than Alphonse.

"Hey, Al?"

"Yeah?" Al looked at Martel.

"Let's never go to a fancy place again." Martel said.

"Okay. Next time, let's go to a pizza place." Al said, grinning at her. Martel grinned back, leaned over to Al, and kissed him.

Just then, they hear a horn blare, which could only be Roy.

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The next chapter will be the last. I would just like to thank everyone who has read this story, especially those who reviewed it. Thank you. You're amazing. I **know** that without you, I might not have finished this (I tend to never finish stories).


	80. Chapter 80 End

Let's keep this beginning bit short: RoyEd. Parental complexes (both subtle and being shoved down your throat). Angst. Lots of OOC-ness. If you don't know all this by now...where have you been? Did you just skip ahead? Haha. ...Wait, did you really? I don't understand how some chapters have more hits than the previous chapters.

Notes: Um. I think I made Ed act a bit annoying in the beginning. Heh. Sorry about that. I just started reading the Naruto manga... and so I think I put a bit of Naruto's attitude in Edward on accident. I came up with a somewhat plausible reason for it though...

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Edward leaned over so that his face was directly in Roy's face. Roy opened his eyes and was startled to find Edward's golden eyes so close.

"Morning." Edward said innocently.

"It's Saturday." Roy replied sleepily. "I'm going back to sleep."

"No way!" Ed retorted, and began bouncing on the bed. "Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!"

"Gah!" Roy yelled. "Alright, alright!"

"You're going to wake up Gabriel and Al." Edward grinned.

"That's your fault, not mine." Roy said.

"I'm going to go see if Al is home yet." Edward said.

Roy muttered, "That kid has way too much energy..."

Edward sprinted over to Gabriel and Al's shared room to find Alphonse's bed empty. He then ran back to Roy's room.

"Roy! I made you coffee earlier!" He said very loudly.

"...Did you drink any?" Roy asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah!" Edward replied, nodding enthusiastically.

"That would explain your hyperness." Roy replied. "Bring me some. I don't want to move."

Edward ran to the kitchen and poured some coffee. It took all of his self-control not to run back. He didn't want to get burned. He managed to hand the coffee to Roy without spilling it.

Roy took a sip of the coffee and instantly felt the caffeine course through his body. He looked up on Ed, who was bouncing on his heels.

"Not bad." Roy said, being honest. "Though you're not allowed to have anything with sugar for the rest of the day."

Edward blinked innocently and smiled at nothing. Gabriel came into the room at the moment, rubbing his eyes.

"Gabriel!" Edward yelled, causing the boy to startle. He looked at Ed with wide eyes.

"Yeah, Daddy?"

"Let's go play!!" Edward replied.

Edward played with Gabriel until about midday, when his coffee wore off. Alphonse came home at about the time that Ed was crashing, luckily. He took over the playing while Edward went to rest.

Roy was reading on the couch when Edward collapsed next to him. Edward snuggled up to his boyfriend, resting his head on Roy's shoulder. His eyes were closed like he was asleep, but Roy knew he wasn't.

"Coffee finally leaving your system?" Roy asked. Edward merely gave a nod, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Ed?" Al entered the room. "What did you to with Gabriel? He says that you and he played with all his toys. Is he exaggerating?"

Edward shook his head slightly, still not opening his eyes. He and Gabriel really had played with all the toys. Of course, when he was on his caffeine high, it didn't seem like that many.

"I see." Alphonse said. "Well, I'm going to take him shopping for some toys, okay? He doesn't have that many." _Oh, then it wasn't just the caffeine high._ Edward thought.

Alphonse left the room and got Gabriel. The front door opened and closed, and Roy and Ed were left along.

"You know...if you hadn't exhausted yourself, we could make a wonderful use of this time." Roy said, not taking his eyes off his book.

"Mhmm." Edward agreed. He didn't move. He wasn't sure he could.

Roy continued to read and Edward fell asleep. When Al arrived home with Gabriel, the two played together, more calmly than Edward had hours before. It was evening before Edward finally woke up.

"Hey." Roy said. "About time you woke up."

Edward yawned. "I'm hungry." He said.

"It is about supper time." Roy said. "Sit up and I'll go make us something."

Edward reluctantly did such. "Cook something good." He said.

Roy nodded.

He couldn't decide what to make and ended up making them hamburgers, corn, and instant mashed potatoes. All three of the boys enjoyed it, luckily.

After supper, Al helped Roy clean up and wash the dishes. Roy was made to wash while Al dried them.

"I'm been meaning to talk to you, Al." Roy said. Al looked over at Roy. "The way you've been shifting between Hooligan's and this house...is that how it's going to be?" Roy asked.

"Well...yeah, I think so." Al replied honestly. "I kind of like spending my nights there, but it's nice to come here too."

Roy nodded. "Okay. I just wanted to make sure."

---

When Alphonse was leaving for Hooligan's, Gabriel asked if he could go with.

"You'll have to sleep there." Alphonse said. "I'm not coming back here."

"Okay." Gabriel said. He gathered up his pajamas and a few toys, using on of the shopping bags from earlier that day to carry it all. "Daddy!" Gabriel called to Ed.

"What is it?" Edward asked, entering Gabriel's room.

"I'm going to sleep at Hooligan's, okay?" Gabriel said.

"Okay." Edward gave Gabriel a hug. "Have fun."

"I will!" Gabriel replied, smiling at Ed. He picked up his bag and met Al at the door. Edward watched them leave.

---

"So, we're all alone again." Edward said, finding Roy reading on the couch again. Talk about your déjà vu. "And I have energy now."

"Yeah, but maybe later. It's too early in the evening, and we have all night." Roy said, absorbed in his book.

Edward decided to see what the deal with this book was, and so, cuddled up close to Roy, he began to read, even though he didn't know the story line.

---

Gabriel had brought his coloring books and crayons to Hooligan's. Derek and Samantha immediately found enjoyment in this activity.

The three children crawled halfway under a large blanket, so only the upper halves of their bodies showed. Side-by-side, they began coloring together.

---

Later that night, Martel and Alphonse sat on the porch of Hooligan's, looking up at the stairs. It reminded Al of the night he had done the same thing with Aiden. That same night, Al had told Aiden that he liked him.

Al looked over at Martel, who looked back at him and smiled. _Wherever Aiden is, I hope he's happy_, Al thought, _because I sure am._

------

**Epilogue  
-What the characters went on to do-**

**Roy Mustang:** Roy worked his way up and became Fuhrer of Amestris. He attempted to get the uniforms to be changed to miniskirts for women, but too many women complained that skirts got in the way in combat, and so it was merely made an option, so that some girls could choose to wear them. Fortunately for some men, some girls chose to wear the skirts. Roy didn't get to enjoy it due to Edward and Edward's threats. He also made a law that made discrimination of homosexuals and of Ishbalans illegal and legalized gay marriage. He later married Edward Elric, though they both kept their maiden names.

**Edward Elric:** Edward became Roy's right hand man when Roy became Fuhrer. He married Roy Mustang once Roy made gay marriage legal and proposed to Edward that night..

**Alphonse Elric:** Alphonse decided not to join the military. Instead, he opened a pet shop, mainly in the support of cats. He adopted one of the cats as the pet shop pet, and it was allowed to walk around freely. He named it Aiden. He later married Martel, once both of them were sure.

**Martel:** Martel worked as Alphonse Elric's assistant in his pet shop business. She handled the reptiles, while Alphonse handled anything with fur or feathers. She proposed to Alphonse and the two got married.

**Gabriel Schick:** Gabriel grew up to be quite normal, despite his childhood. He opened up a toyshop where Mr. Wellham's shop was located, and never had a kid steal from him. He remained unmarried, though he did date Samantha for a while in his teenage years. After Samantha and him broke up, they still remained friends. Samantha grew to be his best female friend, and Derek his best male friend.

**Breda:** Breda never heard Roy talk like a homosexual, and came to accept the fact that Roy's revealed sexual orientation did not change who Roy was as a person.

**Mr. Wellham:** Tourists found Mr. Wellham's dead body in the desert. It seems that he was trying to reach Xing, but died on the way. From the autopsy, it was reasoned that he dies from dehydration.

**Falesyia:** Falesyia got a job at a local clothing store, which he enjoyed very much. Since he often received clothes as a bonus, his dress-up collection was expanded.

**Samantha:** Samantha later became a waitress at the fancy restaurant that Alphonse and Martel had a date at. She later was promoted up to assistant manager. She dated Gabriel when they were in their teens, and he remained her best friend afterwards.

**Derek:** Derek joined the military as a soldier. He became the main assistant to Hughes, and later the head of the investigation department, once Hughes decided to leave the military for more time with his wife and daughter. Gabriel continued to be his best friend for the rest of his life.

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And that's it. It's over. I want to thank every one of my readers once again. This story had gotten over 800 reviews, which makes me really happy. :-)  
I'm not sure if I'll write another big story like this, but I am definitely going to edit this on my own, to try to make it better. If it changes enough, I'll post it as a version two of this story, though that wouldn't be posted for a while.


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